


Not a Monster

by DRandtheTARDIS



Category: My Chemical Romance
Genre: Blood and Gore, Child Abuse, M/M, Male Homosexuality, Past Abuse, Rape/Non-con Elements, Vampires
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-13
Updated: 2016-06-20
Packaged: 2018-05-14 13:01:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 17
Words: 50,931
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5744815
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DRandtheTARDIS/pseuds/DRandtheTARDIS
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gerard, a 300 or so year old vampire, is going on as usual - hunting humans at night, taking advantage for his own gain, and being the general evil creature of the night.<br/>Until he runs into a guy who he feels differently about, and can't help but become protective of him.<br/>But there are many things that could go wrong, and controlling himself is not something he has ever been good at.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is a work in progress that I will be spending most of 2016 working on, with the end goal of publishing to Amazon. However, I do not like writing without reviews and feedback so I decided I would draft chapters here whilst I construct the story (and give everyone a good read in the process) before I move it to be sold on Amazon! I welcome ideas for plot development and character plots, or simple suggestions of things you would like to see! Just leave a comment and I will always reply to you :)  
> \- Isaac 
> 
> Update: Added short paragraph on vampire history as per someones request a few months ago.  
> Update: Fixed a few spelling errors and reworded certain paragraphs to provide more fluent reading.

Introduction 

Gerard breathed in the cool midnight air, closing his eyes and sniffing the light breeze that brushed his face- taking in all the sounds and smells around him. The city had quietened down by this time, but there was plenty to find still. Gerard pulled his black jacket shut, moving out of the alleyway and slowly walking down the street, watching groups of people shuffle past bars and clubs. He ran his tongue over his lips, inhaling as two young women walked by him - only sparing him a quick glance before entering one of the bars. But that brief encounter was all he needed to smell the blood running through their veins. A smile crept across Gerard's mouth as he watched the many people pass him by. He waited, not being careless or drawing unneeded attention towards himself and eyed a young girl who was looking down at her phone and walking up the street alone. He glanced around before following after her; eyes fixed on her every move. This is what he lived for, the thrill and excitement was better than any drug…it was the ultimate high.

The young girl turned the corner onto 2nd Street, and the busy night life began to dull as they moved further and further away from the city centre. The noisy wails and thumping music from the many party goers and night clubs became distant memories as they turned another corner, this street was devoid of life aside from the two of them and the lights along the pathway were burnt out – a heavy darkness engulfing most of the block…and the darkness seemed to intensify behind Gerard as he followed the young lady. She stopped on the street corner and punched something into her phone, Gerard squinted and with a slight glow his eyesight enhanced – she was ordering a taxi.

He gave a small smile and cocked his head as she peered up at the sign on the street corner, finishing the address. He started to approach her, quietly and carefully. Suddenly, he had crossed the street and was standing right behind her in the blink of an eye – she still had no idea she was being followed. He could smell her scent; feel her heartbeat and the blood flowing through her veins. He inhaled again, almost able to taste her from here…As quick as lightning he flung a hand around her front and covered her mouth, wrapping his other arm around her waist and pulling her backwards into the alley way behind them. She struggled and tried to yell from behind his ice cold palm, but he was far stronger than her and had no trouble keeping her restrained. From behind his hand, she let out a muffled plea, “Please…what are you going to do to me?”

Gerard yanked her head to the side as she continued to struggle and squirm. He placed his head on her shoulder, giving her a toothy smile as he dragged his tongue up the side of her neck, tasting the fear and the adrenaline pouring from her. The look of sheer terror in her eyes was enough to turn him on and a flash of pure bliss crossed his eyes right before he opened his mouth and plunged the two large, pointed fangs deep into her jugular. She cried out and wiggled for a few moments before becoming paralysed with pain and fear, and then she fell limp. Gerard closed his eyes as he felt the warm, metallic tasting liquid wash down his throat. He felt like it had been a lifetime since he had last fed, but in truth it had only been a few days – but his bloodlust was extremely strong and, sometimes, out of control. His tongue lapped at the wound as he held her still body in his arms, catching every drop of blood that fell from the two puncture points. As he drank in her lifeblood, he felt her body become colder, her heart beat was extraordinarily weak and her breathing almost non-existent. But while she was close to death, she was conscious and her eyes darted back and forth…watching what he was doing to her.

She could feel everything; she could feel her blood being drained and her life slipping away. No matter how hard she tried to move, she couldn’t. There was nothing left for her to try and do, this was it.

Gerard cocked a sadistic smile, and watched as the girls eyes flickered, gasping for the last few breaths of air that she could muster. As her breathing became more and more stuttered, Gerard removed his fangs from her neck – a small look of relief washing over her face – he moved his arm up around her neck, tightening it and with one last smile yanked hard…a loud crack echoing through the alley way. He dropped the young girl’s body behind the dumpster, wiping the blood from his lips and moving back out into the street. He could feel the hunger recede into the dark recesses of his soul as he walked the empty street, he was once again himself and not the uncontrollable…monster he became when the hunger set in. The lust for blood was more than a simple urge – like being hungry – for a vampire, it was more powerful than anything else and it always took president regardless of time, place or mood. It altered the personality as well, a vampire of any substantial age was usually careful, calculating and always moved with purpose…each step considered before it was made. However, whilst afflicted with the lust for blood these traits that gave vampires a noble stature were lost and they became raving beasts with but a single drive.

In a time long passed there were those of the noble vampire clan who had learned to control their hunger to some extent – ruling over their providences and taking in human sacrifices in exchange for protection of other noble families of the mortal world. These vampires lived in covens and in great numbers, however in modern times those covens have since been disbanded, either by religious orders over the years or crusades by the mortals who were enslaved under this ruthless system. As the many decades passed those remaining vampires lost the ability to directly infect those they fed on (or at least those who survived the process, which was rare in itself) as the pure vampire line became evermore tainted with mortal blood. The process of infection was now dangerous and uncertain, more likely to kill a human than actually turn them. So, with the majority of the covens and established societies destroyed the vampire species died out, leaving only stray descendants who had either been turned accidentally through feeding of careless vampires, or those born of pure blood families who managed to hide themselves.

This was all before Gerard’s time, however. He was only a mere 300 years old, born sometime during the 18th century. Of course, for a mortal that was several life times but Gerard had heard stories of the original vampires – the elders – born in the 4th or 5th century, and 300 years was but a short existence for an immortal being such as him. His knowledge of his species history was blurred at best, going of folk lore and the legends he had come across over the many years he had lived. All he knew for certain was he was a descendant of a pureblood family – making him a pure vampire, to some extent, but that is where his understanding of his families past came to an end and there was little he could do about it. Trying to control this hunger seemed fruitless and a waste of time – how could he hope to control his most powerful and basic instinct when all around him there existed a world of temptation…blood everywhere, on every street and in every home, the smell of it flowing through the air and always finding his senses no matter where he was.

No, this is how he had existed for almost three centuries, it is who he was.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Update: Spelling corrections and punctuation additions.  
> Update: Reexplained small sections here and there to enhance the descriptive nature of what was going on, hopefully painting a clearer picture as you read!

It was almost 3:30am when Gerard finally arrived home. Tonight's hunt had taken him deeper into the city than usual. He could still taste the metallic tang on his lips from the blood; he opened his front door and stumbled inside, slamming it shut behind him. The bloodlust had faded, and he was left with horrible images of what he had done. The fear in the girl’s eyes that had turned him on so very much now repulsed and frightened him.  
He ripped his leather jacket off and threw his shoes across the room, falling down into the large welcoming bed with a painful moan. He didn't like being an animal, killing and terrorising innocent people, children...  
But that wasn't him, or at least that is the lie he told himself every day.  That was his darker side, the hunger that took over control. It never used to be this bad, he would only feed once a fortnight - feeding on wild animals like deer and bears that lived just outside the city in the forest, but lately it had increased to almost every night and animal blood was not enough. He cupped his face in his hands, feeling his ice cold skin press against the pale, perfect complexion of his face. He sighed, sitting up and removing his shirt. He picked up the towel that was at the end of the bed and shuffled over towards the shower, turning the tap that sat on the left hand wall with little effort the room quickly filled with steam. Gerard stepped in, the scolding water pouring over his pale body - though he could barely feel it even at this temperature. He looked down and saw the dried blood stains that blotched his chest from where he had gorged himself, he slowly moved a hand over them and felt his fangs twitch at the touch. Even after feeding blood was like heroin, he needed it and wanted it - regardless of the cost. He pulled himself back into control, the sharp points retracting somewhat into his gums as he washed the blood away - the water turned a deep red and black as it passed his feet and a shiver passed through him once more. He tried to fight the erection and the hot rush that over took him from the sight of blood, but even after feeding he was still weak to the hunger. He quickly reached up to the tap, turning the cold water on and hissing a little as the sudden change of temperature disagreed with his skin.

Drying himself off and picking up the clothes that were draped over the sink, Gerard moved out into the bedroom once more and sat back down on the bed with a thud, enjoying the cool air against his bare body. He moved his tongue over his teeth until coming to his right fang, feeling how incredibly sharp it was. He could taste a drop of blood from where he had cut his own tongue against the pointed tooth and once more he swelled, breathing heavily at the thought. He wasn't sure why blood turned him on the way it did, perhaps the act of drinking someone was more sexual than he realised. He thought of it as just eating dinner really, but couldn't help the arousal. Gerard dropped the wet towel on the floor and laid back, water particles still clinging to his naked body and glinting in the artificial light of the lamp, he surrendered himself to the exhaustion that had slowly invaded his senses and sunk back into the soft bed. He closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep as the first morning light hit the tinted windows.

As he slept, Gerard saw flashes of the many victims he had taken. Not just faces but the eyes, full of fear and desperation. It haunted him, when he was himself - he hated the 'Mr Hyde' that lurked within him, but also understood it was a necessity. Without it, he would die within days in his current state. Was it so wrong for him to simply do what he must to survive?...  
Suddenly all he could see was red and a scram echoed through his dream.  
Gerard sat up quickly, panting and sweating - he gasped for breath and felt a fire burn inside of his stomach. His tongue lapped at his fangs as they began to grow from his gums. His throat felt dry as a desert, and he gripped the bed sheets. Reaching down, he picked up his shirt and pants - slipping into them. "So thirsty...." He moaned, the burning in the back of his throat becoming more intense. It had not even been twenty-four hours since his last feed, but it appeared he was not yet done. Glancing at his watch, he sighed to himself, “Just gone dark…”   
Gerard jumped up with a new look in his eyes and swung the door open,  bolting for the street outside.

Tonight, he didn't head for the city centre. Instead he turned and began running towards the national park that bordered the city. There was a camp site on the other side of the lake he wanted to hunt in...  
He ran as fast as he could, a considerable speed for a vampire craving blood - he kept to the back streets and the alley ways, resisting the urge to pounce on one of the many random city inhabitants that dotted the area. He could feel the urge to feed bubbling inside of him like an unstoppable force of nature. He was lethal, fast, and merciless. The breeze brushed his face and the many sounds and scents of the night assaulted his senses, giving him vision far beyond what his eyes could make out. He did not stop for anything, his mind fixed on his goal and nothing else, weaving in between buildings and houses, over fences and rooftops. There was no stopping him from reaching what he desired.

Suddenly he could see the park entrance up ahead, it was about 8pm and everything was quiet. He jumped the gate, landing among the scrub - he could see tents pitched in the far distance, and a few people scattered around, but overall there were not too many witnesses. He knelt down in the bush, eyes darting around..."So many choices..." He whispered to himself, licking his lips.  
Suddenly he spotted someone, a guy maybe in his mid-twenties. He was reading a book outside his tent, and seemed to be alone. A grin flicked across Gerard's face as he silently watched him, waiting. Almost an hour passed until finally the man packed up and moved into his tent, zipping the flap closed. By now everyone else had done the same and the camp site was quiet, only the small reptiles and nested birds made a sound. Gerard slowly walked through the tree line and through the scrub towards the tent, making sure he kept quiet. He could smell the blood that resided in each tent and his fangs trembled like a magnet passing by metal, he approached the front of the large tent and took another look around - making sure he was not being observed. Once satisfied he was alone, he unzipped the front and slipped inside like a shadow, no trace of his passing by visible. The tent itself was quite large, he could stand up inside of it and it consisted of two rooms - a front area with chairs and a table and a back area with a bed, where the man he had been watching lay. Gerard pulled off his jacket, placing it down by the door - he wore dark blue jeans and a tight, short sleeve black top that clung to his pale skin and outlined the muscles in his arms. He approached the bed, making no noise. The man was not wearing a top and his skin was smooth, Gerard could make out several veins and arteries that were throbbing in the dim light, and he had to use all of his strength to hold himself back from simply devouring the man on the spot.   
Where was the fun in that?  
He moved to the end of the bed, gently climbing on, placing his legs to either side of this helpless souls feet and began to climb towards his neck. The smell was driving him insane, not to mention that this guy was also very pretty - a combination Gerard adored. Before too long he was looking down directly at his face – nose to nose, watching his light breathing. In an instant, he brought his hand up and wrapped it firmly around his mouth.

The young victim’s eyes shot open and the shock was clear, but he didn't move. He lay there, staring up at Gerard with confusion and...fear. He tried to move, but he was pinned down by a great force. His breathing became erratic, his eyes blinking fast as adrenaline and anxiety flooded his system.

Gerard smiled down at him, running his eyes down the man’s neck and over his chest. "You...have a wonderful body..." He hissed quietly. With his free hand, he ran his middle finger down his soft neck, tracing the veins before continuing down his chest and circling his nipple. Still the man seemed to be in too much shock to even try and move, he just laid there staring up. Gerard lowered his mouth onto his neck, running his tongue down and tasting the sweat and adrenalin - but refrained from biting him, for now. He sucked on the skin, playfully placing a few bites that were not hard enough to draw blood. He moved back to look the man directly in the eye, "I am going to remove my hand from your mouth. However, if you scream I will snap your neck before you get a second syllable out...is that clear?" His eyes were filled with a mixture of lust and hunger, searching this stranger’s face for an answer.

He gave a nod and calmed his breathing a little as Gerard slowly removed his hand from around his mouth. "Wh-...who are you?" The man managed the fear raw in his voice like sandpaper.

"My name is Gerard, which is all you need to know." The side of Gerard's mouth rose in a discreet smile; he loved playing with his food like this. "I have chosen you, if you do what I say and keep quiet - you may just be allowed to live. But if you cause any trouble, or disobey my command I will kill you...painfully and slowly."

The man stuttered, not believing what he was hearing. But he could see the seriousness in Gerard's eyes, and did not wish to test his limits. "I unde-...understand" Is all he managed. He relaxed his body as he felt the unnatural strength Gerard seems to possess lift off of his limps, making sure he kept still. "What...exactly do you want from me?"

"Your blood." Gerard was blunt and to the point. "Few people are ever given a chance to come out of this alive..."

"Then why have you not just killed me?" The entire situation seemed like some horrible nightmare, but it felt real enough that he was not keen to find out if it was just a dream.

Gerard studied his face, "I think you're cute."

The man seemed lost, but didn't argue with the stranger holding his life in between his fingers as if it were a toothpick. "You said...blood?" He tripped over the word, frightened of exactly what Gerard meant by that.

"Yes, your blood."

"So that means you are a..." A look of astonishment crossed his face. "There have been stories these past few years of individuals with a...craving...but I didn't take them to be true...you are an actual..."

"Vampire" Gerard finished his sentence with a smirk. "Now, do you understand the terms of your survival?"

"Yes." Strangely, the man seemed to relax a little, though he was scared he didn't feel threatened exactly. "What do I have...to do?"

"Sit up." Gerard said firmly. "What is your name?"

The man did as he was told and sat up, and Gerard took his place lying down. "Ray..."

Gerard could feel his fangs trembling at the sight of so much bare flesh, but this was too much fun to simply rush. "Nice to meet you, Ray." A rush of excitement ran down his spine, he loved being in control...the power. "Climb on top of me." Gerard laid down properly, keeping an eye on every move.

Ray swallowed hard, a little uncomfortable. It took him a few moments to muster the courage needed to follow Gerard's command, but after a minute of breathing and preparing he did what he was told, carefully and slowly climbing onto Gerard so he was sitting on his stomach. Ray didn't make eye contact with Gerard; instead he kept his eyes down.

There was more to the hunger than simply feeding. There was a need to be in control, to dominate. That had to be fulfilled as much as the craving for blood. Simply killing someone wasn't enough, Gerard needed to enslave them, to use them. He lifted his hand and placed it on the back of Ray's neck, pulling him down into a kiss. He kept his eyes open, wanting to see his reaction.

For a moment Ray wasn't sure what was happening, he was just threatened with a snapped neck and now they were making out...what the actual fuck. As his lips were pulled towards Gerard's and he opens his mouth to speak, "What are yo-..." But before finishing his sentence he saw a flicker of seriousness in Gerard's dark eyes. He had the choice of going along with it, or displeasing the very strong and very dominate vampire.  
He chose the former.  
He pushed his lips against Gerard's and tried to forget about the uncomfortable feeling sitting in the back of his mind. He saw Gerard staring at him throughout the kiss, but closed his eyes - unable to take the intense stare and instead tried to imagine a slightly more pleasant and attractive situation.

Gerard slowly pushed his tongue into Ray's mouth and was a little surprised to find no resistance. It looked like his will was already breaking, something that turned Gerard on even more. He suddenly felt Ray's tongue push into his mouth, and he let it happen - interested to see if he was actually enjoying this.

Ray continued to kiss him, moving his tongue about, until it hit one of Gerard's fangs - which had become far more predominate over the last few minutes. They had razor shape points, and as the fang came into contact with his skin it cut like a knife through butter.

Tasting the blood, Gerard's pupils widened and his breathing broke rhythm, becoming uncontrolled and heavy. He looked up to see Ray staring down at him, knowing full well what he had done. The urge within him was building fast, that drop of blood spreading through his system like wildfire. He moved both hands down Ray's back and to his hips, grabbing hold of them tightly and grinding into him roughly.

A moan escaped Ray's mouth, unintentionally but he couldn't help it. He could feel how hard Gerard was through his jeans and despite the intense situation; a part of him was turned on by the thrill and the dominance. He lowered his head into Gerard's shoulder, placing his lips to his ear and let out another light moan. "Do it..."

The words brought a lustful smile to Gerard's lips. There it was, everything else stripped away, he was in control. He reached down and undid his jeans, pulling the boxers Ray was wearing off with one rip. Gerard looked down to admire the smooth, well-toned body Ray had as he put a hand on the back of his head once again and pulled him in for another kiss. This time Gerard moaned, everything working out just as he wanted it to. Gerard brought his hand up and licked it, eyeing Ray with a cocky smirk as he did (one that seemed to be mimicked by Ray, cheeky bastard). Reaching down, Gerard lubricated himself and felt the precum that had already built up after such a close encounter. He slid his hand up, cupping Ray’s firm ass. He lifted Ray up and then carefully lowered him down, not wanting to cause too much pain - knowing he would probably yell and then he would have to kill him.

Ray broke their kiss for a moment, closing his eyes and gasping quietly to himself as he felt Gerard enter him. He sat there quietly panting, and finally looked up into Gerard's eyes and saw the animal behind the pupils. Ray let out a slightly louder moan as Gerard pushed into him, one hand on his hip and another around the back of his head. This was strange, Ray wasn't exactly straight but he was never overly interested in sex with another guy. But it was like he was being told what to feel, he couldn't help but want to please Gerard even though there was a chance he would kill him afterwards - like he had been infected with Gerard's will. What he didn't know is that this was part of vampire’s abilities, the longer you spent around them the more you began to idolise them, worship them even. Their will became yours; their commands were all you cared about.  
"More...please."

That was it, Gerard couldn't hold back any longer - he had played with his food enough. He moved his hips faster, becoming rougher as he felt Ray around him. He grabbed his hair and yanked his head to the side with a fierce passion, all the while Ray was lost in another world.  
Gerard closed his eyes and took a deep breath, plunging his teeth into the side of Ray's neck. He cried out in pleasure as the blood hit the back of his throat, soothing the red hot burn he had put up with for hours, as if someone were branding his throat with a cattle iron. The blood was sweet, like honey and as his teeth sunk into Ray's neck his tongue danced around the small cuts, lapping at it like a dog laps at a water bowl.

There was no mistaking what had happened, Ray had been bitten. He let out a shrill cry of pain, but didn't move - staying still to allow Gerard to drink his life force away. It hurt like a bitch, but at the same time it wasn't as bad as he imagined it would be, most likely because of the heightened adrenalin and hormones. He wrapped his arms around Gerard's neck as he sucked at the wound, and continued to move up and down on his hard on - it was bigger than ever and Gerard moved faster as he drank. It was an insane mix, pleasure and pain combined into one strange feeling. He felt himself get close to finishing, and gripped Gerard's hair, whispering in his ear.

Gerard smiled as Ray told him, slowly removing his fangs from the side of his neck and licking the blood that was dripping out, waiting for it to clot.  
He then put both arms around Ray and moved in for a kiss, lips red and dripping with blood. They met, and both moaned loudly as they finished at the same time, bodies jerking and shivering.

Ray collapsed into Gerard’s shoulder, panting and reeling in a bit of pain - his system now returning back to normal and finally feeling the full brunt of the bite. He turned his head towards Gerard, seeing he too was exhausted - his eyes had changed from their dark red colour to a light green, his fangs had shortened a great deal and the lust and hunger had left him completely...  
"Are...are you going to kill me now?" The question crippled him with fear; he felt his stomach churn and anxiety take a hold of him once again. This was the first time that night there was pure terror in his eyes.

Gerard saw this, and it hurt him. 'He must think I'm a monster...’ He thought to himself, bringing a hand up and stroking Ray's hair. "Of course I'm not going to kill you" he said in a gentle tone. "You did everything I asked, and didn't scream or try and stop me...You kept your word, and I shall keep mine." Gerard gave him a small smile, hoping to calm his nerves.

Ray sighed, the anxiety leaving his body - he let his head rest on Gerard's chest and continued to catch his breath. He wasn't sure what it was, but Gerard seemed different. He wasn't the same person who took him hostage; he almost seemed ashamed when he spoke. "I know this is weird but...I sort of enjoyed it."

That wasn't something Gerard was expecting, he had basically raped the poor guy and then drank his blood. "I...really?" Gerard wore a puzzled look. "But I threatened you."

"I know, and I was scared as fuck but...I don't know what it is, I just suddenly wanted you." Ray kissed his neck, laying his head back down.

Gerard understood perfectly, Ray had been infected by Gerard's dominance; this wasn't actual feeling...it was simply a reflection of what Gerard wanted. He cringed inside, wishing for once someone would find feeling for him without having to be coerced. "I'm sorry I frightened you...I wasn't in control, I never am when I'm hungry." A look of shame flashed across his face, and he kissed Ray on the head, pulling his shirt on and zipping his jeans up. He got up, fixing his hair and putting on his jacket. Looking back, Gerard gave Ray a sympathetic smile and nodded, feeling dirty and like a monster - he unzipped the flap and removed himself from the situation. Glancing up, he could see the very first Ray of sunlight shining through the clouds, it was about time he made his way back home.  
Turning toward the bush path he used to enter, he began jogging up towards the fence.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Due to some stupid Ao3 glitch or error, this entire work was deleted and I lost all my chapters besides chapter 1.  
> However, everything is saved to my OneDrive so I will upload all of them back onto Ao3 asap, but I am pretty sure I will lose my comments and kudos so please - if you are here to read my new chapter, could you leave a new kudos as well as your comments as they may have been deleted along with my story.

Frank sighed, glancing around the club at the many different faces. The music was loud, the air stuffy and the atmosphere was not the sort Frank enjoyed. He was a quiet person who liked spending time one on one with people, not crowded to the point he couldn't move. But the last few months had been rough and he had become increasingly lonely, losing his last friends and not speaking to his parents. He existed in his own small corner of the universe where no one else could care less what he was doing. It didn't bother him that he spent his time alone, that is just the sort of person he was - but life had grown dull and quiet.  
Scanning the room again, he noticed someone standing against the wall on the other side of the dance floor, he was wearing jeans and a leather jacket but didn't seem to join in on the dancing, simply watching. Frank finished his drink and put the glass down on the counter, gaze still fixed on the stranger across from him. He was cute, his skin was pale but perfect and smooth, hair as black as night. Tall and handsome, and no older than...27? It was hard to tell, he looked young but at the same time felt older. Suddenly their eyes met, just as quickly Frank broke the stare turning back to the bar...he liked to look, but wasn't much for touching so to speak, not that someone so good looking would be interested in him.  
"I'll take another." Frank gestured towards the empty glass and the waitress smiled and refilled it. 

"I'll take one as well." A voice came from behind. It was calm, devoid of emotion and it seemed to float unhindered over the thumping music like a leaf on the wind. 

Frank turned around to see who had violated his personal space so intimately, but soon realised it was the stranger with whom he had shared glances with. Lost for words and looking like a pathetic moron, he gave a shy smile and attempted to say hello.  
"Oh...hi...I uh..." He tried, but he became lost in this strange man’s eyes. The longer he looked the deeper he seemed to fall down the proverbial rabbit hole. 

"Sorry for barging up like this...I didn't mean to catch you off guard or anything, I'm Gerard." He extended his hand with a small smile forming in the corner of his mouth. 

"Oh n-...no it's fine. I'm Frank, nice to meet you." Why was this tall, rather good looking figure talking to him?  
"Umm, can I get you a drink?" Frank was struggling here; this wasn't really his thing - being social. 

"I'd love one." Gerard seemed to watch Frank with a startling intensity, as if trying to figure something out or looking for something. More than once Frank caught him glancing at his neck, but stranger people had approached him. Gerard sat down next to Frank at the corner of the bar, pushing the noisy music and strobing lights from his mind as he watched the young man. "What brings you to a place like this, don't seem to fit in - if you don't mind me saying?"

Shaking his head, Frank laugh a little. "No it's fine, you are dead right. This isn't my scene at all, but I needed to...get away I guess." He did his best to sound casual, like he did this sort of thing all the time - however he had a sneaking suspicion it wasn't working and he was just looking like a dork.  
"What about you, tall dark and handsome doesn't fit in here?"

Gerard couldn't help but smile at that, this young...thing...looked delicious. He was cute as hell, smelt amazing...Gerard would be anything that he tasted just as sweet. But all this thought drove his hunger up, and he had to stop himself from simply jumping forward onto the boy.  
"I come here sometimes for...well, to get away."  
They both smiled and picked up the two glasses that had been placed before them.

Lifting an eyebrow, Frank pulled his glass up in front of him. "To getting away then." 

"To getting away." Gerard mimicked, tapping glasses and sipping at the cool beer. "So if you don't mind me asking, how old are you?"

"Turned 22 this year." Frank suddenly felt like a child, knowing Gerard would be older - though he would never suspect just how old Gerard was.  
"What about you?"

There were two options here, Gerard could tell Frank he was the prince of darkness and that he was a little over 350 years old...or he could round down...  
"26, going on 27." He chooses the latter.

"Well you look much younger." Frank attempted a sly wink, but it ended up being a dorky gesture that Gerard couldn't help but giggle at. The music had gotten louder over the past half hour and it was starting to piss Frank off, could barely hear what Gerard was saying.  
"Hey um, the music is getting stupidly loud in here - do you want to go for a walk outside or something? Can't talk properly in here."

That was, of course, perfectly fine with Gerard. Frank was...well he seemed to be perfect, all he wanted to do was sink his teeth in at this point but a small part of him was holding back - telling him to wait.  
"Sure, I'd love to." Gerard smiled and took one last mouthful of his beer, zipping his jacket up halfway and moving through the busy crowd. He pushed people out of the way with ease, creating a path for Frank to follow. 

The street was almost dead silent, the hour had grown late and the last pockets of people inhabited the few remaining bars like the one they had come from. The pair walked in comfortable silence next to one another, it was pleasant. There was a breeze that seemed to follow them wherever they went and it gave Frank goose bumps.  
"I love the cold." 

Gerard walked, hands in pockets looking down at the worn pavement, "So do I, I find it comforting in my own...strange way. I'm a creature of the night, it's wonderfully peaceful." Of course, he was being literal, but Frank did not need to know that. 

"The night is wonderful, sometimes it gets noisy in my head - to many emotions and ideas, makes it hard to concentrate. Walking at night helps clear my mind." 

If there was one thing he was good at, it was reading people. Gerard could sense there was more to Frank than simply being a little worn out. "You mentioned you have had a rough year?" 

Frank nodded, staring up at the clear night sky that bloomed with stars. "Family troubles mainly, I moved away to escape all that a few years ago but I have found your past never quite leaves you alone." He wasn't lying when he said family troubles, he simply didn't elaborate enough so Gerard could form an actual understanding of what had happened - he didn't like burdening others with his problems. 

This was not what Gerard had expected at all. He had planned to get Frank out onto the street, find a secluded walkway or alley and enjoy his smooth skin and sweet blood. However, he wasn't...in the mood. It was certainly a first, of course his hunger was there because it was always there, but he didn't want to hurt Frank. Instead, he wanted to understand him. There was something about this guy that made it past Gerard's primal instinct and that was profound indeed. Maybe this is what real emotion was, Gerard want sure - but he had always followed his instincts and this felt like the correct pathway.  
"Do you like horror movies?" He once more broke the relaxed silence, but this time peering over to Frank with a smile.

Frank's eyes lit up, "I fucking love them, especially the old ones!" He couldn't believe it, they had a mutual interest. "I have always been in love with Friday the 13th, it's so..." The words seemed to escape him.

"I know exactly what you mean." Gerard didn't need to hear the end of that sentence. "It's one of the best!" They both shared a giggle and exchanged small comments over various movie choices, commenting on their similar tastes in the drama and gore. 

Mid conversation, Frank looked up and pointed to the building across the street. "Looks like I'm home, that walk usually feels a lot longer." He rubbed the back of his neck with a dorkish smile. "It was really awesome meeting you, Gerard." 

Realising his time was up, Gerard quickly took the initiative. "And you - um I was wondering...do you want to hang out and watch a movie sometime, your pick?"

Oh god, tall dark and handsome wants a date! Frank fluttered inside as he was overtaken by excitement, but mustering all his self-control he kept still and pretended to be cool. "I'd love to, why don't I give you my mobile number and you can text me?" 

With a somewhat mismatched look Gerard nodded, and exchanged his phone number. This was a first, this was weird and strange. This was like a bear taking a deer out for dinner and ordering vegetarian. He couldn't understand what exactly compelled him not to drain the life from this cute kid, but it was a feeling strong enough to counter his blood lust - and that was worth exploring.  
They both exchanged an awkward hug, and Gerard took a deep breath in and a shiver ran down his spine at the scent of Frank's blood, it called to him but he resisted.  
With one last nod Frank opened the apartment door and vanished up the stairs. Gerard stood still for a moment, taking in his strange and wonderful night. It suddenly occluded to him that he had not yet fed. Not only that, but the burning that usually licked at his throat and stomach was but a dull thump. This was not hunger like he had been dealing with, in human terms he was perhaps in need of a snack at best. Sure that Frank had left him for the night, he turned his attention to the street leading up towards the national park - speeding off to catch an animal to feed on, he had no desire to kill someone tonight and would make do with the blood of a lesser creature and would find a way to deal with the burning that would no doubt ensue later on due to his modicum of restraint.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Due to some stupid Ao3 glitch or error, this entire work was deleted and I lost all my chapters besides chapter 1.  
> However, everything is saved to my OneDrive so I will upload all of them back onto Ao3 asap, but I am pretty sure I will lose my comments and kudos so please - if you are here to read my new chapter, could you leave a new kudos as well as your comments as they may have been deleted along with my story.

Frank was exhausted, letting out a sigh he stripped off his shirt and took off his belt, falling into the soft bed.  
"Gerard..." he breathed into his pillow, closing his eyes and picturing the dark haired, pale skinned guy he had been so suddenly swooped up by. All he could think about was Gerard, he had known him for a total of an hour and a half and already he was being invaded by emotion and lust. With one last breath and a whisper of Gerard's name, he let his eyes fall shut and fell off to sleep.

Sitting atop the fire escape outside the window, Gerard silently watched Frank slip into sleep. He remained out of sight, simply observing and admiring - trying to figure out...to understand what made Frank so desirable but held his lust for blood at bay. It took all his strength to not climb in and pounce on him. He shivered, the hunger surfacing for just a moment as he imagined the sweet red lifeblood that coursed through Frank's fragile veins. Pulling himself away from the fantasy, he leapt down from the railing and landed in the small alley way beside the building. Adjusting his jacket, Gerard wandered off down the lifeless street, thinking about the strange yet wonderful boy he had unexpectedly encountered.

The morning air sent shivers through Frank's body, he didn't need to be up on a Saturday morning but he wasn't able to fall back asleep. He climbed out of bed with hesitation as the icy touch of the air licked at his almost naked body, walking towards the bathroom. Moments later, the shower spewed out large clouds of steam as the hot water drizzled down Frank's body. Closing his eyes, he leaned against the shower wall and let out and sigh, as if pained by some invisible wound. But it was not a wound that existed in the physical realm - at least not anymore - it was an emotional scar, a chasm of anxiety and fear left by years of abuse. The memories flooded Frank's vision as he stood under the warm water and an inward cringe indicated the discomfort brought on by thinking on such things.  
Frank's father had never treated him well, at first it was just displayed in outbursts of unjustified anger or impatience with the then young Frank. But before his fifteenth birthday the verbal harassment and ever growing temper his father carried evolved into physical beatings. There was no reasoning or logic behind them - not that there ever really would be - but it became almost a daily routine. While Frank's mother never aides in the abuse first hand, she had no objections and allowed it to happen unhindered which was, in his opinion, just as bad.  
As the images of his troubled childhood plagued him once more, Frank collapsed down into his knees, the warm water still pouring over him, head in hands he sobbed and tears streamed down his cheeks. At times like this he could still feel the imprint left by his father’s fist, or his rough leather belt he so often used as a lash. There was no one to confide in, no one to express this emotion to. Everything Frank felt sat deep within him, and over the years had grown like a cancer to the point that he was unable to sustain friendships, constantly looking over his shoulder being scared of a sudden beating, anxious about being shamed or judged.  
And so Frank sat there on the shower floor, tears pouring down his face and head cradled against the wall - broken, a mess, unfixable.

The afternoon had grown late, the sun was sitting on the horizon and the sky outside was lit with purple and orange hues – the rays of light penetrating the city smog and taking on various shades. Frank had not gone outside; he wasn’t much of a day person anyway. Instead he sat in the corner of his small lounge room behind a drawing desk, pencil in hand. This was the way he spent most days, in front of him lay notebooks filled with sketches, canvases awaiting paint, and drawings awaiting ink. Since he was a boy, art had been Frank’s escape and his passion – though it was constantly mocked, shamed and criticised by both his parents. The walls of his apartment was covered with framed drawings and canvas paintings of his many works he had done over the years, comic art was his forte and he had always wanted to publish comic books of his own and bring his various characters to life…but it was not so easy, Frank did not have the courage to show his work to anyone after so many years of negative reinforcement and put downs. No, he would settle with adorning his own walls and sketch pads with his work, he did not need the approval - or disproval for that matter - of anyone else to know he had talent. Adding the last few areas of shading with his black ink pen, Frank gently blew over the finished work and silently admired it, allowing his penned creation to dry before moving it to the plastic folder he kept on the corner of his desk. Sitting back in his chair Frank glanced up at the wall and looked over the many framed sketches he had finished over the last few years since finding his own place in the city. The recurring theme among them were superheros, both well-established figures and some of his own creations, the one he had just finished was an Iron Man drawing that he had spent several weeks trying to perfect. It was something about the posture and the lower half of the armour that gave him problems, but a few nights ago he finally got it right and began the task of colouring – the part of drawing he enjoyed the most. Looking across to one of his older Batman drawings that depicted the bleak Gotham background, he thought back to a childhood friend of his, a girl a handful of years older than him he befriended one afternoon whilst escaping one of his father’s outbursts. Frank gazed up at the celling, arms crossed as he reminisced. It was a Thursday afternoon about an hour after he had come home from school, like usual his father had taken on a mood and was yelling and screaming whilst finding his way to the bottom of a whiskey bottle. Foreseeing the inevitable beating, Frank had crept out to the front yard with a sketch pad and sat near the road trying to distract himself. It was there he was greeted by a young, rosy cheeked girl with long flowing hair named Amy who lived in the next door house. She shared her fascination and love of superheros with him on their many afternoons of secret meetings, she would describe them and he would draw them - it was the thing that kept him level over the years of hardship he endured. It didn’t take long for him to fall down a deep well of affection for her, spending so much time with someone like that usually leads to the same outcome, he thought to himself. But before he was ever brave enough to peruse it her family moved away, and all he had left to remember those handful of years were the heroes and villains the two had created in those afternoon meetings.

A sudden ding from his mobile pulled him back to reality and he reached for his phone, hitting the button on the top, the number was not one he recognised. Swiping across he read it silently to himself.

Hey,  
It’s Gerard, um we met the other night? I was just curious if you wanted to chat or meet up or something.

It took him a couple of moments to realise he was smiling like a dork. Frank re-read the message and quickly opened a reply window but froze unsure what to say. Maybe I should wait a little while to respond, he thought to himself, not wanting to appear like he was waiting for the message or anything (even though he…kinda was.) But he didn’t want to look like he didn’t care either. Forgoing the silly reservations he had, Frank quickly tapped in a reply.

Oh hey!  
I’m glad you took up my offer :) I would love to grab something to eat, if you wanted? I am free tonight, say 8:30pm?

He placed the phone down and took a deep breath in, somewhat anxious about the entire situation even though he had been waiting for it to happen for a few days now, finally there was another ding and he quickly went for the mobile once again, reading out the message.

8:30 sounds great…but to be honest I am not much of a restaurant person, it is all a bit to formal and serious for my tastes. Could we just do like, pizza and a movie at yours or something?

Wait, what. He read the message out loud to himself to make sure he understood it correctly. “Pizza and movies at yours.” Fuck, at yours. Was he really going to go through with this? He had never really had people over…but this guy, Gerard, he was…special, though he wasn’t sure why. He wanted to see him, to get to know him.  
“OK…I am going to do this…yep, this is happening…here I go...”  
With reluctance he opened another message window.

Sounds good, you know where I live yea? I’ll order pizza and find us something to watch.  
See you later!

Placing the phone down, Frank let his head fall onto the desk and moaned. “What am I evening doing, Jesus Christ.” The very idea of spending time with someone IN his place was frightening, but he thought about it…it wasn’t something he had actually tried before, so it was pretty stupid to assume it was automatically going to end badly just because he was anxious. No, he was going to do this and he was going to give it a chance – this was the first time someone had asked to spend time with him, he was in demand for once and he was going to enjoy it. Looking around, he suddenly saw that a clean-up was in order, as there were half finished sketches, books and scrunched up papers laying all over the place. Shuffling away from the desk, he began the task of making his small apartment appear half decent…

This was, by Gerard’s standards, a first.  
But then again, he wasn’t hunting Frank…this wasn’t him playing with his prey for amusement. He did in fact want to spend time with this kid – though the reasoning as to why alluded him. He was cute, shy but clever…everything Gerard liked in someone. Maybe it was finally time for him to have his first real friendship? Anticipating his time with Frank, he had taken steps to ensure – at least to the best of his abilities – that his hunger would stay in check as not to suddenly ruin the evening. After hunting the other night in the national park for animal blood, he snuck into a blood bank two streets down from the general hospital and smuggled out several IV bags of blood. Of course it was not a perfect substitute for the fresh thing, the chemicals used to keep the blood useable whilst being stored gave it a sort of off taste but one he could put up with for the time being. He picked up the half empty IV bag from the kitchen table and sucked from it as he pulled out a t-shirt and a pair of skinny leg jeans. He could feel the painful ache in his gums where his fangs pushed through looking for flesh to pierce but found only plastic, the throbbing pain was not one he was used to as it was usually blocked out by the rush and adrenaline of drinking. Sucking the last of the red liquid out of the plastic sack, he threw it into the sink and wiped his mouth, pulling the jeans and shirt on in a bit of a rush and began the search for his shoes.  
He still felt uneasy about this, which was another first for him. He was at the top of the food chain, nothing hunted him and he had no fear…but he was anxious, vulnerable in a way for the first time in three hundred years.  
Glancing over at the clock, Gerard noticed that the time he had to get ready was slowly creeping away from him. With haste he slipped on his shoes and threw on his coat, readying himself for an interesting night he locked his apartment door and headed out for Franks place.

  
The smell of pizza filled the apartment, and Frank had done his best to tidy the place up so it looked like a normal persona lived there. He had organised his various pads, books and papers onto his desk rather than littered around the room haphazardly as to give the impression that he was at least somewhat concerned with keeping his things tidy, even though he couldn’t give a shit in actual fact. Though his place was small, he compensated with a large flat screen TV and a staggering movie collection – everything ranging from high end sci-fi and action to romance and drama, his tastes were…mixed to say the least. He wasn’t really sure what Gerard liked so he decided to go for a safe genera choice, action. Tonight it would be the first of the Die Hard series, a fantastic movie that any sane and normal person would enjoy. He placed the pizza box on the coffee table in front of the couch and found a semi-cheap bottle of wine in the top cupboard, pouring two glasses and setting them down on the corner of the glass table. As he finished his preparations, there was a knock at the door and his stomach suddenly filled with butterflies. He ran a hand through his hair and tried to look relaxed, picking up one of the glasses that sat on the table he took a sip and walked over to the door, gripping the handle he breathed deeply and opened it. There in the doorway Gerard stood, handsome as before and bearing a smile.

“Evening, hope I am not early?”

Frank shook his head, “Right on time…please, come in.” He gestured inside, stepping aside as Gerard walked past him, his hand straying for a moment and brushing by Frank, a small tease but enough to make Frank smile. The two of them walked silently to the lounge room and Gerard took off his jacket and placed it on the back of a chair, eyeing the glass of wine next to the pizza box.

“Oh, please do tell me this is for me?” Gerard raised an eyebrow and winked, looking over his shoulder at Frank.

Frank gave a slight giggle, “For us...but yes.”  
He pointed towards the couch, winking back like a fucking dork. “Park your ass.”

“Forceful aren’t we?” Following the instructions he was given, Gerard jumped over the couch and sat down, he kicked off his shoes and took the second glass of wine, sipping at it as he watched Frank take two plates and separate the slices of pizza for the two of them. “So what are we watching tonight?”

Placing the plate in front of Gerard and doing the same for himself, Frank fell down beside him and picked up the remote control. He hit the play button and the music blared through the sound system. “Die Hard.”

Gerard’s face lit up at the words, “May I say, you have wonderful taste in movies!”  
The excitement of the situation was plain on his face, and Frank was pleased the night was – at least for the time being – going according to plan.

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Due to some stupid Ao3 glitch or error, this entire work was deleted and I lost all my chapters besides chapter 1.  
> However, everything is saved to my OneDrive so I will upload all of them back onto Ao3 asap, but I am pretty sure I will lose my comments and kudos so please - if you are here to read my new chapter, could you leave a new kudos as well as your comments as they may have been deleted along with my story.

_*Contains graphic and descriptive scenes of a mature nature*_  

 

The night was going well – though Gerard was somewhat nervous still – both he and Frank had shared quiet jokes and comments throughout the movie, and each had downed two glasses of wine. The credits began to roll and Gerard looked over to Frank, who was sitting next to him on the cough. “I didn't get a chance to say this, but I have been looking at all of this artwork and if I'm not mistaken…” He pointed to the nearest picture, “that is your signature?” 

Frank looked down with a smile and slightly red cheeks, “I dabble a bit...” He knew that was a lie, he didn't dabble he obsessed, but dabble sounded more normal. 

Despite the shyness and modesty, it was not hard for Gerard to discern that drawing meant a lot to Frank. “They are brilliant, honestly. You could sell these without a doubt.” He continued to glance about the room, admiring what he now realised were hundreds of pictures. There was not a centimetre of wall space not plastered with some form of comic or painting. 

This sort of praise was not something Frank was used to, and he did not really know what to say. “Thank you” he laughed shyly, “I don’t think I have ever tried to seek any of them, I like them but…I worry others won't.” 

It almost didn't make sense to Gerard and he had to think for a moment, it was plain for anyone to see, Frank had talent – and a lot of it. He suddenly snapped back into reality and realised he must have been spacing out like a dork. “Trust me on this, they are very good and you shouldn't be embarrassed about them!” He smiled, pulling his leg up onto the couch and sitting on it as to face Frank, “also, thank you for the wine and pizza – they were wonderful.” 

“You're welcome” he gleamed back, still recovering from the barrage of compliments he had just now received. Frank was noticeably shorter than Gerard and he saw this when he crossed his legs and collies Gerard's motion a faced him, taking up only half as much room. Frank wasn't overly muscular or impressive, more so small and goth he chuckled inwardly. “So, movies over – what do you want to do now?” 

The question was undoubtedly asked without hidden intent or implied meaning, but Gerard couldn't help thinking about pouncing over the couch and seeing if Frank's blood was as sweet as he imagined. No, that is not who he was right now – or ever would be with Frank. “I wouldn't mind another glass” he shrugged with a smile, pushing the forbidden thoughts to the back of his mind and trying to concentrate on the moment at hand.  

Frank reached over the table and procured the half empty bottle of wine and filled both their glasses. He took a long sip, enjoying how comfortable he currently felt when he usually didn't even feel comfortable on his own. Gerard just had a way about him that made Frank feel at ease, he did not feel stressed or anxious - but simply himself. Taking yet another sip from his glass, Frank brought his free arm up and laid it over the back of the couch, his fingertips just now meeting Gerard's arm - who’s arm was also sitting across the couch back. This was a bold move, by Frank's terms anyway. He glanced up as he moved the glass away from his lips and saw Gerard smiling back at him, the two didn't really need to say much. Feeling that this was the right course of action, Frank moved his hand forward and wrapped his fingers in between Gerard's. As he did, Gerard moved forward onto his knees and leant over Frank, pushing him down into the sofa. Frank let his hand trail down Gerard's arm and trace the muscle that was defined through his shirt, just as he felt their lips meet softly. He was now laid back against the couch with Gerard over him, there was something hidden in the corner of Gerard's eyes that he couldn't quite understand – perhaps lust, or excitement? It didn't matter, Frank placed a hand on the back of Gerard's neck and pulled him in for a deeper kiss, this time allowing their tongues to meet. So many things races through Frank's mind as they sat locked in this position, neither one having any desire to move, suddenly Frank realised this was his first kiss – how stupid was that, he was a grown adult and this was his first. On coming to this conclusion, he then realised he was still a virgin – by the way Gerard acted, and his expertise at handling the situation it wasn't hard for him to deduce this was most certainly not Gerard's first time. But this wasn’t the time to dwell on such things, regardless of his uneventful past he was here with Gerard now and it was perfect. Wrapping his arms around the back of Gerard’s neck and pulling him in tighter, their bodies met and all the while their lips remained locked as if to break the kiss would be to end the world itself. It felt as if years passed by, the two of them lost in a flurry of moaning, grasping, groping and boundless passion. Frank ran a hand through Gerard’s now ruffled hair and pulled out of the kiss slightly, taking a gentle but firm bite of his bottom lip and looking up at him with those big, eternally sad eyes he seemed to wear no matter what was going on – it was something Gerard had noticed early on in their night, no matter how much fun they were having, how hard they were laughing or debating…when he looked at Frank he would get two big sad eyes back, despite the smile on Frank’s face. It was clear that, somewhere – buried under layer of emotion and suppression – Frank was hurting, and that hurt Gerard…even though he barely knew him. After a little more playful lip biting, frank finally broke their kiss and laid a hand on the side of Gerard’s face, feeling his skin and noticing how cold it was, deathly cold. 

“I hope this isn’t too forward of me or anything?” There was a cheeky, sly look on Gerard’s face as the words crept out. He spoke quietly, as if afraid someone might here even though they were alone. He spoke intimately, carefully, weaving his words like a lure for Frank to take as bait. 

Still running his hand through Gerard’s hair, Frank smirked and pecked his lips, “It is, without a doubt, most improper” he put on a cocky voice and made a dorky face. The two of them broke out and laughed, Frank still underneath Gerard and pressed down on the couch. He felt somewhat vulnerable, as if Gerard were some great lion standing over his prey ready to make the kill. It had dawned on him that he couldn’t get up even if he wanted to, and there was something in his eyes…it wasn’t lust – though that was present in various other ways – 

it was something else, and Frank couldn’t figure it out, it was some emotion or urge suppressed and trying to get out. As he stared up into Gerard’s eyes, hand on the side of his cold pale skin, he noticed colour change, slowly moving from their natural colour to a murky, swirling red that both frightened and attracted him. Placing both hands on either side of Gerard’s face, Frank pulled his face down into his neck and kissed his cheek, carefully grinding his lower body up against Gerard’s and letting out soft moans into his ear. 

This was almost too much for Gerard to take, he gently ran his tongue up the side of Frank’s neck as their bodies rubbed together and Frank’s hand made its way down his neck and towards his chest. He could feel the piercing pain of his fangs pushing through his gums – sensing the very presence of blood – but mustering every ounce of self-control that existed in his body, he kept the urges at bay. Though he did not pierce the skin, Gerard waited for his fangs to recede and then began to take slow bites down Franks neck, sampling the fragile skin and smelling the sweetness of the blood that lay only a hairs distance away. This was enough to send him mad, let alone the quiet moans Frank made in his ear and the timed thrusts that seemed to be gradually becoming harder. He let out a shudder as his urges bubbled to the surface once more. Subduing them and kissing up Frank’s neck he once again joined their lips and placed his cold hand on the side of Frank’s face, stroking it gently. 

The gravity of the situation was building up, and Gerard wanted Frank even more than he wanted blood at this point. As they continued to meet in a mixture of passion, excitement and lust Gerard pulled away, eyes fixated on Frank's. He spoke carefully, but in a somewhat more serious tone that Frank had not experienced that night, but in some way it was attractive – commanding and forceful. 

“If you want to stop this here, we probably should now because…I don't know if I can stop myself from going any further if this keeps up…” He breathes heavily, trying to catch his breath and calm himself down. “I don't make a habit of such forward behavior on the first date but…I just can't help it…I'm sorry.” 

However, instead of the awkward silence and agreement Gerard had expected, Frank responded differently – with a new found confidence Gerard had not seen all night. “Don't apologies” is all Frank said, standing up and pulling Gerard from the couch towards the half open door that stood on the other side of the lounge room. 

It was dark. But Gerard had no problem seeing in the dark for obvious reasons. He wrapped an arm around Frank's waist, lifting him up and kissing him more aggressively than before. He slowly walked them over towards the unmade bed, laying Frank down and looking down at him intensely. The two of them locked eyes for a moment, as if having a silent conversation. Breathing deeply, Gerard reached down and pulled his shirt off, tossing it to the floor. He felt Frank's warm hands slide up his body, and as their skin met the thump of Frank's heart beat radiates though his fingertips and deep into Gerard's body. 

“You're perfect…” Frank murmured, his eyes alight with awe at the sight of Gerard's sculpted body and perfect, pale skin. 

At first, Gerard chuckled and smiled down at Frank, searching his face. But quickly realized it was not said with any sense of humor, or even as a compliment. No, it was said as a subtle comparison. It didn't take Gerard long to figure out what the hidden meaning behind Frank's 

words were. He had suddenly taken on that shy exterior that had greeted him hours ago at the door when he first arrived. Frank looked at Gerard as if his very existence was a testament to everything he wasn't, solid, strong, handsome…perfect. 

The look of shame that swept across Frank's face was so powerful, so heart-breakingly strong Gerard found himself lost for words and devoid of feeling, save for a tragic pain that now inhabited his entire body. Finally understanding that this was more than a case of simple self confidence issues, Gerard cocked his head to the side and looked Frank – once again – directly in the eye, the murky red that had been so predominant before now fading into away to once again reveal his natural eye colour... Placing his legs to either side of Frank, who was laying down before him, he placed one hand on the bed beside him, and another on the side of Frank's face – being very gentle – he cupped it, lowering his lips and kissing him, this time conveying emotion rather than lust. He held the kiss, hoping it would say everything that he wanted to say but was unable to find the words to convey the way he felt. Finally taking one last peck, he moved back – though he kept his face close to Franks, so much that he could feel his breath touch his neck – and hoped the many things he wished to say had been translated. There were no words from Frank, just a look…a mixture of confusion, relief and passion. Before he could attempt to perhaps salvaged his botched attempt at relaying what he thought and felt, Frank reached down and pulled off his top – though he kept his eyes down and out of line of sight from Gerard’s. Frank allowed his hands to fall on his bare chest, a futile attempt to cover what he seemed to be so frightened of sharing with Gerard. But Gerard smiled, Frank was beautiful. His skin smooth – it seemed somewhat pale, like his own – and though his muscle was not as well defined, it was definitely there. “I don’t understand…” Gerard whispered, running a hand from Franks collar down the middle of his chest until he hit his belly button. 

“I just…I don’t know…” The words were empty, Frank knew damn well but was reluctant to share. 

Ignoring the shame that now lay upon Frank’s face, Gerard grabbed him by the wrists – pinning him down - and moved in closer, placing his lips on Franks ear, whispering slowly and seductively. “I am seeing plenty that I like…” he kissed Frank’s cheek and ran a tongue down his neck, and then down his chest, taking small but somewhat hard bites as he went. The moans of enjoyment were all the indication he needed to know that he was on the right track. He was going to make Frank feel amazing, and show him he had plenty to feel good about. Continuing to bite, lick and kiss his way down Gerard quickly undid the belt and zipper that barred entrance to that which he wanted most of all. 

Looking up at Frank with a sly look, he removed the jeans with a quick tug and let them join the small pile of clothes that seemed to be growing beside the bed. Placing a hand against Frank’s crotch, he massaged slowly whilst still teasing himself with playful bites of his body. The urge within him was strong, but it was controlled enough that he could hold it back but still feel the rush of excitement as the prospect of biting just a little deeper played within his fantasises. Grasping Frank firmly, he could feel how hard he was and smiled up at him, though he was lying flat with his eyes closed lost in some fantasy world, still not believing this was happening at all. Finally removing the dark boxers and adding them to the ever growing pile of clothes, 

Gerard wrapped a hand around Frank and slowly slid his lips over the head of his cock and allowed his tongue to run down the hard shaft. A loud moan of approval echoed from Frank, encouraging him to continue. Working his hand up and down, Gerard worked Frank slowly, and as the moans became greater so did the speed at which he worked. He kept going, faster, taking thrill from the many grunts, moans and sighs of approval he received as his tongue continued to massage its way up and down.  

Frank’s mind was a chaotic swirling of feelings, emotions and other indescribable things. He had never felt this way before, and it felt amazing! His body responded in ways he never thought possible, sensations he had never envisioned or even fantasised about. He had felt somewhat ‘easy’ when they had begun making out on the couch earlier in the night, knowing the sort of stereotypes that accompanied such behaviours, but such thoughts and doubts had been washed away like a footprint on a beach as the tide was coming in – he didn’t care, he liked this, wanted this, and never wanted it to end…. ever. He could fell himself reaching the peak of ecstasy as Gerard skilfully moved around him. Unwilling to allow this heavenly situation to be drawn to a close just yet, he reached down and took Gerard’s head in his hands, pulling him up into a kiss fuelled entirely by the boundless passion that poured from both of them. As they let the kiss last, Frank ground his pelvis into Gerard and wrapped one hand around his forearm, feeling the strong muscle tense up as they continued to enjoy the company of one another. His fingers danced across Gerard’s cold, smooth skin and he took a moment to admire the fact that there wasn’t an inch that wasn’t completely devoid of hair, and perfectly smooth – ‘he must have some secret to this’ Frank mused to himself, before turning his attention back to the kiss at hand. 

Gerard moved his hand down, unbuttoning his own jeans and slipping them off – along with the pair of black briefs – and then moved his hands up Frank’s body, lifting him higher onto the bed and shuffling forward himself, still laying kisses and love bites whenever he was presented with the opportunity. 

Running a hand through his thick, dark hair and down his neck, Frank pulled Gerard in closer, wanting to ensure their bodies were as close as humanly possible. With the other hand, he reached down and found Gerard hard – no surprise after seeing how passionate he was- and did his best to massage and rub, searching for any sign of pleasure in between bites and pecks. It was after he began to speed up that Gerard moaned, louder than he probably intended to, and the very sound drove Frank wild. 

As he worked Gerard, the need to experience the ultimate level of closeness ate at him inside like a wild beast that was rattling its cage to escape. Finally giving into his primordial desires he grabbed Gerard by the hair and yanked him down – somewhat forcefully – and kissed him hard, murmuring as their lips joined. 

“I need you inside me…” He breathed heavily. 

“I thought you'd never ask…” came the sly, cocky reply he had come to find cute through the evening. Gerard placed a hand behind Frank's head, firmly pulling at his hair and moving his body up so it aligned with Frank's properly. Placing his forehead against Frank's, he looked into his eyes and silently asked if he was ready. 

Carefully, slowly, he moved inside Frank. 

Frank let out a small hiss, shaking a little. This was his first time…with someone else, and he wasn't sure what to expect. He slowed his breathing as he felt Gerard move in further, but couldn't help a few sharp moans at this new feeling. 

“Am I hurting you?” The words came with utter sincerity, and as he said them he stopped moving – staying still as he watched Frank and waited for an answer. 

It wasn't pain, it was more slight discomfort which was, honestly, to be expected. Within seconds – as Gerard looked down searching for an answer – that pain had subsided and he begun to experience a lust he had never imagined. 

“Don't you dare stop!” He moaned, pulling him into a kiss and pushing their tongues together. It seemed Gerard was all too happy to oblige as he pushed further inside of Frank, listening to his moans. Frank thought he would pass out, the human body couldn't possibly take such wondrous and amazing stimulation so quickly, but he laid there – Gerard thrusting harder and harder and biting his neck – in complete and unadulterated bliss. 

Gerard was gripping the sheets beneath them harder now, unable to suppress his own moans. He moved faster and harder, not breaking the eye contact the two shared for a second in fear that to do so would risk losing the moment forever. Gerard had been with many people – it couldn’t be helped when one was of such formidable age, but most of the time it had been one sided, like with that guy…Ray was his name. But this, this was magical. He didn’t need to threaten Frank, or use his mystical powers of persuasion, he didn’t want to. This was real and it was better than anything he could ever take from some random off of the street when he felt like it. Gerard ran his hands down Frank’s naked body, gripping his hips tighter as he let out another loud moan – long lost were the fears of making too much noise or letting go, no…he let go, and it felt amazing. Frank was tight and his body radiated warmth that Gerard could feel throughout him as he moved back and forth, panting heavily. “Gerard…” Frank breathed loudly, eyes rolling back in his head as his hands reached out, fingers meeting the smooth ice cold skin that he was growing a like for, a counter to his own internal heat. 

Gerard met the moan with his own, sliding his hands behind Frank’s back and lifting him up into his lap, still thrusting. He licked at his neck, sinking his teeth gently in and sucking the sweet skin. The moment drew near, and Gerard could feel Frank’s body tense up and his arms tighten around him. “Let go” he whispered, closing his eyes and planting his head on Frank’s shoulder – slowing his pace but moving deeper. 

As the words hit Frank’s ears, he did exactly that – he let go and was overtaken with an ecstasy unlike anything he had previously experienced. It seemed hearing Frank’s cry set Gerard off, as he to clenched his teeth and a shiver of euphoria spread through his entire body like wild fire. He stopped moving, grunting and sighing as he felt himself empty. Neither of them moved, interlocked and panting. They sat there, heads on shoulders attempting to comprehend the impossible swell of excitement that had overtaken them in the last hour of events. After they had caught their breath, the two sank down into the bed 

and quickly slipped into deep sleep, exhausted and spent – though never letting go of one another throughout what was left of the night.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Due to some stupid Ao3 glitch or error, this entire work was deleted and I lost all my chapters besides chapter 1.  
> However, everything is saved to my OneDrive so I will upload all of them back onto Ao3 asap, but I am pretty sure I will lose my comments and kudos so please - if you are here to read my new chapter, could you leave a new kudos as well as your comments as they may have been deleted along with my story.

It was just about 3am when Frank's eyes opened, “Stop!” he screamed, tears pouring down his cheeks as he sat up waving his arms in front of him. It only took him a few moments to realise it was just a nightmare – he had them every other night. Panting he wiped his eyes, recounting the dream in which he was being mercilessly punched and beaten by his father on a typical drinking night. 

It was then a pair of arms wrapped around him, and a head sat on his shoulder. At first, he experienced shock thinking his nightmare had come to life…but then came to the rational explanation that it was simply Gerard, of course. His arms draped across Frank's chest, his lips pressed against his ear. 

“I'm not going to ask what bothers you so much – I know what fear looks like, and I have watched utter terror dance in the corner of your eyes all night – and you don't have to tell me, but you can't stop me from confronting you.” The words came and engulfed Frank like a warm blanket, sucking the fear and dread out of him. He faced Gerard – who was now sitting up, sheets draped across his lap – and fell into his arms, resting his head against the strangely cool chest of someone who seemed to bring such calm to his chaotic mess of emotions, someone he barely knew. 

“I'm so fucked up…” he mumbled, feeling Gerard's fingers weave their way gently through his hair. Breathing deeply, the pair laid back down and Frank wrapped his legs around Gerard's, hands tangled and head nuzzled deep into his shoulder. It was here, like this, he felt safety. Though retreating back into his dreams at first seemed like a scary prospect, as his eyes closed and he slipped back he was instead greeted with images of Gerard and their night together. 

The Sunday morning drew on, and Frank yawned quietly to himself - carefully maneuvering his way out of Gerard's tight grip, he slipped out of the bed and found a pair of track pants, slipping them on and walking out to the kitchen. He was exhausted, for obvious reasons. Flipping the switch on the kettle he leaned on the cold marble counter and rubbed his eyes whilst recounting the complicated night he had taken part in. He certainly hadn't been his intention to just...jump into things so quickly but, then again, he didn't exactly feel like he was in total control of himself. That was the other thing that made him feel off - usually being the controlled reserved person he was. The whistle of the kettle yanked him back into reality and he pushed such thoughts to the back of his mind - there was no need to overthink things right now - and he poured two cups of coffee, placing them on the counter top. Shuffling over and finding the sugar, Frank suddenly kicked the black bag that was sitting under the bench. He picked 

it up and placed it beside the coffee, "Oh wait, that's Gerard's" he mumbled. The zip on the left was open half way from where Gerard had slipped his keys and wallet away the other night, and curiosity got the better of Frank. Glancing over towards the bedroom door, it was clear Gerard wasn't getting up anytime soon so he thought a harmless peak wouldn't hurt anyone. With a quick motion he unzipped the main compartment and, for a moment, wasn't sure what he was looking at. "IV bags...of blood..." he whispered to himself, picking one up and examining it. Okay so, not exactly what he was expecting in all honesty - then again, what was he expecting going through someone else's things without their permission? Zipping the bag up, Frank dropped it back down to where he had first tipped over it. "So like, the most rational answer is he has some sort of blood problem (later on he would kick himself over how accurate that actually was) and thus carries around blood in case something happens." Nodding and supping as his coffee, he settled on the rational answer and picked up the second coffee cup, zig zagging across the untidy lounge room towards the bedroom. Laying there, right where he left him, was Gerard fast asleep in all his perfect glory. Taking another sip from his own coffee, Frank left the mugs on the shelf near the door and climbed up the bed slowly towards the sleeping Gerard. Carefully climbing up over him, he kissed him, placing a hand on the side of his face. Kissing back, and opening one eye, Gerard looked up at Frank. "What time is it?" 

"About 9 o'clock, I made coffee if you want some?" 

Gerard suddenly realized this was almost a first for him, he had never woken up during the day before. Wait...during the day...'FUCK!' he screamed internally, freaking out. However, whilst he was having his internal freak out, he had not answered Frank's question and, instead, simply sat there with a stupid ass look on his face. "Erm...Gerard...you okay?" Frank cocked his head to one side, a small amused smile on his lips, it was like watching a confused puppy. "Yea. yea...sorry um, yea." How was he going to explain the fact that he wanted to stay in bed all day, in the dark...or the fact that he needed to devour some blood. This was not an ideal situation, and he cursed himself for his lack of foresight on the matter. Sitting up, Frank still in his lap, he looked around and sighed with a small amount of relief when he saw the only light in the room was artificial - the curtains still being closed. Running a hand through his messy hair, Gerard sighed a little and tried to think about how he could fix this, as it was slowly falling apart. Frank slid off the bed and grabbed Gerard's mug, handing it over to him and sitting back down on the edge of the bed, seeing the somewhat confused look on his face. Was 

he regretting last night? Does he feel like he has made a mistake? 'Shit' Frank whispered to himself, 'shit shit shit.' It didn't make a lot of sense, however, as Gerard was the one who instigated it all, so why is he the one feeling this way? Frank's head was a mess of chaotic thoughts and worries, but he did his best to hide the emotion suddenly washing over him and sipped at the coffee. There was a few minutes of silence as the two simply sat, both struggling with an issue they thought the other had - when actually all their worries couldn't be more wrong. It was Gerard who finally spoke. "Listen, um, I know this might be weird but..." Frank interjected, "It's alright, you don't have to explain" he sighed, gripping the side of his cup. It wasn't really clear what Frank may have been talking about, Gerard didn't have a freaking clue because he was sure it wasn't the same thing he was freaking out over. "Wait, I-" "No really, it's cool man." Gerard was sitting there trying to simplify this entire conversation, not quite understanding it himself. "Frank." Looking up, Frank noticed the strangely calm look on Gerard's face. "What?" "Shut up, please." He smiled like a dork, and laughed a little, taking a mouthful of coffee to keep himself afloat at this stupid time of the day. "What I was trying to say was, if it was alright with you - could I stay the day?" That was about as good as he could do, still unsure exactly how he was going to manoeuvre his way out of explaining certain personal details...but it was a start at least. 

"Um...yea sure I mean..." It was official, Frank didn't have a fucking clue what was going on anymore. Collecting himself, he sorted his words before attempting more verbal communication. "I mean, I thought maybe you were...regretting things or something..." he said quietly, giving brief gestures to the messy bed and strewn clothes that littered the floor. 

Gerard couldn't quite believe what he was hearing, is THAT the impression Frank got? Was that the way he had come off or… 

“What…no, why would you think that?” 

Frank shrugged, “sorry I just thought that was why you looked so…weird.” He smiled gently after calling him ‘weird’ and they both shared a small laugh. The tension that had grown all of a sudden dissipated and everything seemed to not matter as much as it had just several moments ago. “If that wasn't why, then what's up with your sudden freak-out-ish behavior?” 

Dammit, he didn't want to directly lie to Frank – that was no way to lay the foundations for a relationship, but he also didn't want him to stake him or scream or anything - but he had little choice on the matter. "It's nothing important, can wait." He smiled, this was not a time for such things. 

The hint seemed clear enough, and Frank had no desire to push the subject - it was a good morning and there seemed no reason to spoil that. Placing the cup on the floor by the bed, Frank crawled up the sheets and planted a kiss on Gerard's waiting lips, lingering a few moments as he tasted the warm coffee on his lips. A smirk crossed his face as he heard the very slight grunts of approval from Gerard and felt the passion between them brewing. Before he knew what was going on Frank was on his back with Gerard on top of him, he wasn't exactly sure how it happened - before he could even blink Gerard had flipped him around, he moved so fast it was unbelievable. As Frank starred up, he was met by a gaze that was unlike that which he had first laid eyes upon. Instead of passion, there was hunger. Instead of confusion, there was complete certainty. He wasn't sure what had happened, but Gerard was different somehow - it was the eyes, they had changed colour again and were now velvet red. The light pecks had become hard kisses and bites, whilst playful it seemed Gerard was serious about it - a few of them hurt like hell. It was now that he noticed his hands were pinned, a fact he hadn't complained about before but now the grip around his wrists had tightened enough to draw his attention. "Hey Gerard...settle down heh..." he gave a light giggle, trying to push his way up, but it was not so easy - Gerard was ridiculously strong, Frank didn't have a chance. "Alright...what's gotten into you?" 

Through the haze and chaos, Gerard heard precious few of the words Frank offered. He had been irresponsible and had left far too long to feed and in doing so, he had endangered Frank. Unlike his usual routine, where he became an unstoppable force of nature - a single being - this time he was, instead, an observer. He did not make his own choices, driven only by his base instincts, he watched almost helpless as he beset Frank with his heavy body. What little self-control he maintained was the only reason Frank still drew breath, and it faded with every passing moment. Running a tongue up the delicate skin stretched over Frank's neck, he could taste the beginnings of fear - terror even. But it was this, as he looked down into his eyes and witnessed this fear that he suddenly realised it was not the first time he had seen it. The night before, when he had awoken in such a state of shock - it was then that the same chaotic emotions had washed over him for a moment, passing as quickly as they had taken root. Perhaps it 

was the knowledge that, whatever frightened Frank so profoundly, was the very thing he now embodied and represented. It was this sudden realisation that threw back the beast of hunger and lust, caging him once more in the dark corners of Gerard's heart and allowed him to take back control of his faculties. Falling off the side of the bed and shuffling to the corner, he simply sat face in hands and the shame stricken over his face was evident of his sudden loss of control. Unsure of what exactly had happened, Frank watched Gerard in utter confusion and fear, he simply did not understand what had happened to turn this...gentle, kind, caring individual into a monster. But such thoughts of fear and anger quickly fell away as he witnessed the distraught look that had taken residence within Gerard. "I don't understand..." he whispered, slowly crawling towards the edge of the bed and looking down, trying to meet Gerard's gaze. "You wouldn't want to." The words were sharp, blunt, cold - like a dagger in the heart. "That isn't really your decision to make, I will choose my own path...thank you!" It came out far harder than he had intended, becoming a rather painful verbal chastising. But he didn't waver in his resolve on the matter, “so whatever you think is so bad...well you can just grow up and let me deal with it instead of making choices for me. If you expect to have me just roll over after last night, and then this...this..." the words to describe what had just happened escaped him, "whatever that just was...then you can fuck off, because I'm not something you can just abuse until you are tired of me." It was clear as he finished that his words sank deep into Gerard, leaving scars on his heart that would not mend quickly and simply added to the wash of guilt and pain he was already in. Regardless, it was true and he wasn't going to be played like an idiot. 

"No...I didn't mean to...no, you are right." There was little point now in attempting to cover his tracks or create subterfuge - Gerard couldn't even begin to concoct a clever lie to explain everything, and despite how clever it may be Frank would sense its deceptive nature no doubt. "I cannot tell you..." he started, sliding up against the wall, "but I can show you and hope you understand." Still unsure of what exactly seemed to be unfolding, Frank sat down on the bed cross-legged and simply nodded, a part of him unable to not have the answer he wanted. Gerard shuffled over to the curtains that hung silently against the dull wallpaper, standing beside them and looking up to meet Frank's unsteady and uncertain gaze. Gritting his teeth, he reached across and pulled one of the drapes across - a beam of light streaking in through the window and ploughing its way across Gerard's arm and down his naked chest. At first, there was nothing and Frank simply looked at him- the seeds of annoyance at the games he assumed Gerard was playing growing slightly, ready to burst in a fit of rage - but then where the light fell on Gerard's uncovered skin, 

red blisters and the searing of flesh quickly spread like some plague or disease. The smell of burnt flesh assaulted Frank's nostrils and lines of smoke streaked up. Unable to withstand the pain any longer, Gerard let go of the fabric and it once more covered the window, removing all but the artificial lighting in the room. He slid down the wall, moaning as he lay a hand over the damaged and melted skin - this was one of the few things that caused him genuine pain and suffering, and it was indeed great. This was not exactly what Frank had expected, so what...Gerard was...allergic to the sun? But it was only now that the pieces of this strange puzzle seemed to fall into place, the sun, the bags of blood, the sudden loss of control. Now he saw it, what else could of it ever been but that. Of course, there had been some stories in the past few years - killings and such, victims having their blood drained with multitudes of bites and marks. Officially it was the work of some messed up serial killer (or killers) but...there were tales which had surfaced and circulated that perhaps there was a more...out-there possibility to these strange happenings. Though, Frank wasn't much for speculation without evidence and it all seemed a little too ridiculous to believe in... But there it was, right in front of him...all the evidence he needed was strewn against his wall and carpet in a mess of seared flesh and gore. It was clear for any to see that, Frank had finally come to the correct conclusion and Gerard simply watched him, nursing his torn and bloodied chest, waiting to see his reaction. To his surprise, there wasn't really one. A silent understanding, a few moments of disbelief and then simple acceptance of what was in front of him. "Say it..." Gerard whispered, looking down, "I want to hear you say it." The words formed on Franks lips and he shuddered internally, a chill running down his spine at the cold realization as to what he had actually managed to stumble into. “Vampire…”


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Due to some stupid Ao3 glitch or error, this entire work was deleted and I lost all my chapters besides chapter 1.  
> However, everything is saved to my OneDrive so I will upload all of them back onto Ao3 asap, but I am pretty sure I will lose my comments and kudos so please - if you are here to read my new chapter, could you leave a new kudos as well as your comments as they may have been deleted along with my story.

The words fell through his lips like icy cold water over the edge of a waterfall, he could feel his gut churn and a flicker of something deep inside him, perhaps apprehension, he was not entirely sure. How could he really be sure of anything at this point, it all seemed ridiculous – he was Alice and this was his rabbit hole. Clearing the anxiety out of his throat and taking a breath in, he repeated himself once more. “Vampire…” Gerard did not move, or talk, or even try to kill him (something Frank was eternally grateful for). He simply sat there against the wall breathing heavily and nursing the wounded hand against his chest. While the majority of the wounds had healed almost instantly, the lack of fresh blood in his system had halted the process somewhat and had left him with what looked like 3rd degree burn marks up his hand and arm. “Is that going to be a problem?” He was utterly speechless, what sort of question was that? He spoke as if it was just another thing, like having ginger hair or green eyes…but, was it a problem? Frank sat there a few moments, his face betraying the inner conflict and unease he was fighting. Well, Gerard did just try to kill him, or at least…drink…him. But he didn’t. That little fact had not escaped Frank’s notice, Gerard did stop and find the self- control that must have been buried underneath layers of urges and lust. “I…don’t know.” The fear in his voice was there, despite his attempts to mask it. “If I ask you something, will you answer honestly?” “Yes.” It was but a single word, a single syllable, three letters backed up by nothing but a glare that seemed to burn a hole into Frank’s soul. But there was something about the way Gerard said it, the promise was there – hidden behind the word, and that was enough for Frank and so Gerard sat quietly and waited. “Did you come up and talk to me, and come over, and…this” Frank made a quick gesture to the strewn clothes and messy bed, “just so you could take what you wanted from me?” The very notion was like a dagger in the heart, and Gerard sighed as he felt it plunge deep, knowing he hadn’t given Frank any real reason to think otherwise. “No, wasn’t why I came at all. If I had wanted to feed on you, then I would have the other night and left you in a gutter somewhere. But I didn’t, there was something about you I liked and I knew hurting you was the last thing I wanted to do – I presume you have already seen the IV bags in my bag?” Frank nodded, somewhat shocked at the bluntness of Gerard’s confession. “If I had planned to feed on you, I wouldn’t have brought blood bags. Compared to the real stuff they taste like piss. But I do need to feed either way, and I don’t want to hurt you.” A flash of guilt covered his face as he spoke, knowing he had already hurt Frank in some way. 

Suddenly the knotted feeling within Frank disappeared and the anxiety dropped away. He was not scared of Gerard, and he wasn’t going to hurt him – he trusted him. Frank shuffled to the side of the 

bed and sat down in front of Gerard, reaching out to examine his hand. “Why hasn’t this healed, I thought you lot had some sort of super regeneration or something?” 

Gerard smiled, seeing Frank’s acceptance and change in attitude towards him, he could tell it was taking some inner effort to remain level headed and calm, but the fear that had taken root so quickly within him earlier was now gone – and that was more than enough for Gerard. “I haven’t got any fresh blood in my system, my abilities are weakened in this state until I feed…” While he could see Frank was slowly becoming more comfortable with this whole situation, Gerard was not keen to push the limits just yet – he would keep things vague for now, and spare Frank the details until he had the stomach and courage to face them properly. “Oh, the IV bags?” Frank looked through the half open bedroom door to see the backpack laying where he left it. Gerard nodded, wincing a little at the pain in his hand. “Yea, I’ll be back in a second.” He went to stand, underestimating just how fragile he was in his current state, he leaned against the wall and took a deep breath. But as he did, he felt arms wrap around him and when he looked down Frank was there, head on chest with a slight smile. “Sit your ass down.” Frank laughed a little, pushing Gerard back into his former position with a wink. He got up and walked towards the kitchen, carefully organising all the things he had learned away in his mind so they would not float around casually and cause unneeded anxiety. He filed Gerard’s…affliction…under ‘things that are way to fucking weird to worry about’ and was content at leaving them there. Frank reached down and grabbed the backpack, taking out the top IV bag and looking around the kitchen for a mug. How exactly does one drink from one of these, he thought to himself – deciding a coffee mug would suffice. He ripped the plastic top of the bag and poured it into the white mug, the red liquid staining the porcelain a dark murky colour. This certainly is a first… Throwing the empty bag into the trash can, he picked up the mug and walked bag towards the bedroom where a hungry vampire sat waiting. The moment the plastic seal was ripped from the top of the bag, the smell of blood washed into the room and Gerard shivered, doing his best to remain level headed – this wasn’t the time to be losing himself to the beast within. He breathed slowly, calming himself down and pushing the animal instincts back to the bottom of his gut, waiting patiently. A few moments later, Frank reappeared carrying a coffee cup and couldn’t help but show a slight discomfort, or maybe disgust, at the prospect of drinking blood. Gerard reached up, taking the mug with both hands and smiling at Frank. “Thank you for everything” he said, looking down into the swirling liquid – there was something about the chemical the blood banks used to stop the blood from clotting whilst it was stored that gave it a weird taste…that is, weirder than the taste of blood anyway. It turned the colour from rose red to murky and dark, but it was food all the same. “You don’t have to stay here you know, this is probably really weird and you have already been…OK with enough.” He couldn’t help but smile at the strange situation, it was not often he took the feelings of another person into account before feeding – in actual fact it was sort of a first in that regard. Frank however, seemed to have other things in mind. He shook his head, perching on the side of the bed and pulling the covers up over his lap in an attempt to shield himself from the cold morning air – despite the sunshine, it was a rather cold and damp day with rain forecast for later on, it was the best kind of weather, Frank loved the rain. Seeing that there was little point in arguing, Gerard smiled and brought the cup to his lips, taking a mouthful of the cold, processed liquid. Despite its impurity, it was refreshing and satisfying. He 

didn’t stop or pace himself, and simply continued to drink in a rather child-like fashion, a small stream of blood running down his chin as he did. 

Frank squirmed a little at the whole thing, it wasn’t so much the vampire thing…just the blood, he never really liked blood in the first place, let alone the prospect of drinking it. But he was determined to be OK with this, or as OK as one might be with a hungry, lustful vampire drinking blood on your bedroom floor… He watched the change in Gerard’s eyes, seeing the secondary personality – the animal – trying to break through, but it was leashed well and truly for the time being. It was then that he noticed Gerard’s hand, the skin was regrowing where the open wounds had once been, the black flesh that had been burnt dissolving and new skin reforming in its place – it was remarkable to witness such rapid healing and he could only imagine the sort of strength and abilities Gerard may possess when his veins were full of human blood…the thought gave him a chill, and he pushed the images of Gerard feeding from his mind. As he returned to the realm of reality he noticed Gerard had finished, and was sitting with his head against the wall and eyes closed. “Feeling better?” A clumsy moan of approval was the response, followed by a grin. “Much, thank you.” Gerard couldn’t help but feel a little drunk – that is, vampire drunk. The feeling of bliss right after taking in blood after extended time in which you are completely off your face in ecstasy – “I am impressed you managed to hold your stomach through that, most people would be repulsed.” He cocked his head to one side, smiling like an idiot and not giving a shit about the blood red lips or trail of red liquid that had fallen down his chin. “You’re such a fucking dork” Frank snorted, throwing a pillow over at him. “Now, what the hell am I going to do with you then, hm?” Giggling, Gerard put his hands behind his head. “Care for me, tend to my every need and feed me like a good boy?” “Sod off!” The two laughed, Frank finally returning fully to his old self that Gerard had been introduced to the night before. “I don’t much care for taking on a pet, but I will let you hang around so your stupid ass doesn’t get deep fried in the sun, so long as you don’t get fucking blood everywhere.” “Deal!” Gerard said, standing up faster than Frank could blink. Before he knew it, Gerard was on top of him and glaring down into his eyes with a huge dorky smile. “Now, how about a kiss?” He leaned down and made a kissing sound, closing his eyes as he held Frank down on the bed. “Don’t you even fucking try it!” Frank squirmed and laughed, avoiding the blood-stained lips that were veering towards him. “If you touch me with those lips I will shove garlic so far up your ass you will choke!” He managed to get his hands free and grabbed the sides of Gerard’s face, throwing him to the side. They laid there and laughed, hands meeting. “Fine fine fine…” Gerard licked his lips, laying back and looking up at the ceiling. “What do you want to do then, hm?” This was, in actual fact, the first time Frank had considered what his plans for the rest of the day may be. Babysitting a smug vampire wasn’t his usual routine but it wasn’t like he went out anyway. Even if Gerard hadn’t been there he would of stayed in. “First things first, you need to go shower – I am sick of looking at your bloody face.” He looked over 

at Gerard and smiled. “And after that we can get something to eat – something proper to eat – and I don’t know, play a game or something. I do have a few questions, not every day you meet a vampire.” Satisfied with the terms of his lodging, Gerard agreed and jumped up, “towels?” he enquired, looking around. “Shelf in the bathroom.” Gerard nodded, heading off in the direction of the shower, picking up his clothes on his way through and giving a slight smile back to Frank as he caught his eyes wandering up and down his naked body. “Perv” he mumbled with a smirk, leaving the room. Frank sat up, face in hands as he tried to process the events of the morning. So much had happened in the space of an hour or so, more than he could ever imagine in his wildest fantasises. Though the situation was certainly…. unique…he was sure Gerard was being honest and wasn’t going to hurt him, he knew that much. Feeling somewhat content with the answers he had so far, he got up and found his own clothes, pulling on a pair of dark blue jeans and a plain shirt. He wondered out into the living room and could hear the shower down the hallway. Glancing around, he was still unsure as to what he was actually going to do – he had so many questions and so many things he wasn’t sure about. But standing around looking like a lost puppy wasn’t going to get him anywhere, so he decided that for now he should concentrate on the task at hand, cleaning up. There had been little thought to the mess they had left the lounge room in the night before, caught up in the passion of it all. It was only now that he stopped and looked that he saw the pizza box and glasses scattered across the floor, cushions thrown around carelessly, food scraps on the coffee table…they had managed to make quite a lot of mess. With a sigh, he dove in and begun cleaning up, letting the chores at hand keep his raging mind busy until he could get some answers to the myriad of questions he was wanting to ask. By the time Frank had finished cleaning up and Gerard had showered and dressed it was almost midday, they had both finished their respective chores and had slumped down onto the couch next to one another for a short break. Frank let his head fall on Gerard’s shoulder and took his hand, sighing. “What do you feel like doing?” Taking a moment to consider the question, Gerard placed his head on Franks. “How about couch and a movie?” He glanced back towards the window, able to make out the outline of heavy rain clouds and a brewing thunderstorm through the curtains. “Whilst I can be out during this kind of weather, you can’t – you will catch phenomena, so I think it’s a couch day!” “Sounds good, I am not really in the mood to do much really. How about an old horror film?” Gerard looked down and his face lit up with a smile, “Perfect!” Frank jumped up and thumbed through the many titles that sat on his shelf, pushing aside those he had recently watched until coming upon ‘Friday the 13th’. He chucked it into the DVD player and threw Gerard the remote, “I will be back in a second, get it started for me.” Gerard nodded, and played around with the controls, moving through the movie menu and pausing just before the opening scene while he waited for Frank to get back. He noticed the lights dim in the hallway and then in the lounge room and found a handful of pillows to prop himself up on. Suddenly 

he smelt blood in the air, and sniffed frantically looking for the source. Suddenly there in the doorway was Frank holding a mug, he had put a jumper on and walked over, handing the mug to Gerard as he pulled the sleeves down. Frank looked down at Gerard and saw the somewhat surprised look, “It has been a few hours since you last fed, and I don’t want your dumb ass gnawing at my neck mid film.” He smiled a little, seemingly impartial to the blood which was a noticeable change to his earlier distaste for the idea of it. Gerard to the cup, it was somewhat larger than the one he had drunk from previously and realised it had been heated up. “It’s…hot?” “Well it is a cold day, and I figured if you are gonna drink that crap might as well at least drink it warm.” Frank pulled on a pair of socks he had stuffed in his pocket and watched Gerard sip at the blood slowly. “Have you never warmed it up before?” Gerard shook his head, “Usually it um…comes hot from the source…” He did his best to shroud the goriness of the comment, smiling a little as he tasted the hot blood. “This stuff usually tastes like crap, but warmed up it isn’t half bad.” Taking a small mouthful, he was careful to not let it drip. “Thank you, Frank.” Frank just nodded and then sat down in Gerard’s lap, making himself comfortable – still unmoved by the blood that was being consumed only a few centimetres from his face. He thumbed the play button on the remote and wrapped his arms around Gerard, burying his head into his chest with a light sigh. He wasn’t sure what exactly had happened, but whilst he was cleaning Gerard came out of the bathroom all wet and fucking magnificent wearing essentially nothing, looking for part of his clothing that he had left in the bedroom. It was in that moment when he saw him stark naked he realized despite his true nature, he was just another person. He was different, and weird, and a fucking dork, but he was just…Gerard. And Frank liked Gerard, a lot. The pair of them sat together and watched the movie, Gerard sipped at the mug of hot blood slowly – savouring the way the heat had sweetened it and taken the edge of the anticlotting agent – he wasn’t sure what had sparked such a drastic change in Frank’s outlook and mood, but he liked it. This was the first time he had ever just felt normal, like he was wanted. So often everyone was always trying to get away from him, but Frank seemed content on sticking around for now. He smiled to himself, running his free hand up Frank’s side. “You never did get to ask me some of those questions?” Looking up from the movie, Frank hit the volume button and lowered the screams of terror so they could talk. The room was only dimly lit and the thunder was loud outside, a perfect day in Frank’s books. “Hm, where to start…” He considered it for a moment, what did he actually want to know. “How old are you?” A small smile crept across Gerard’s lips as he took another sip from the mug, “Not in my twenties” he chuckled, winking down at Frank who smiled back up at him. “I lost count of exactly how old I am a while back, but it is somewhere around 350 I believe. Give or take a decade.” Frank’s eyebrows rose up as he tried to comprehend such a long lifespan, it was extraordinary to be 

sure. “That is amazing…you must have seen so many things?” “I guess I have seen my fair share, yea.” Running a hand through his hair, he thought quietly to himself whilst he sorted the many questions he had. “Do you normally drink from blood bags, or…?” the words slipped out with a little less confidence this time, and he broke their eye contact. “Sorry, that is probably not a great question.” Frank felt somewhat ashamed for asking such a thing, from what he knew of Gerard he didn’t seem to be the type that would take much pleasure in senseless murder – but on the other hand it was a necessity for him to survive. He cursed himself for being so insensitive, but then felt a hand run down the back of his head. “It’s okay, it was bound to come up eventually and you might as well know, little point in dancing around it.” Gerard spoke gently and slowly, hoping to offset the gruesomeness of the answer a little. “No, I do not usually drink from blood bags. In fact, it has been several years since I last did. Most of the time I hunt humans.” He watched to try and gauge Frank’s response, but he was surprisingly calm about it. Before Frank could say anything, he continued. “You have to keep in mind that I have…split personalities. Me, who I am now, the real me, couldn’t kill anyone. But when the hunger sets in I no longer sit in the driver’s seat, my base instincts take over and I simply watch as an observer – I become an animal. I feel guilt for what I do, and the things I have done, but I don’t have much of a choice most of the time. Vampires are not known for their self-control, it may sound easy but it would be like asking a heroin addict to go clean overnight – and even if you could, there are people everywhere and the stronger the cravings the harder it is to maintain yourself around such possibilities…you understand?” He didn’t expect him to, really. He was, simply put, a monster no matter which way he rationalised it. This was a lot to take in, but Frank wasn’t surprised by the answer. He knew Gerard had done things, and that was just his nature – he could not blame him for his deeds no more than he could blame a fire for burning down a forest, it was simply its way. “I do understand, it is…difficult to accept but…it is just the way you are, you don’t have much choice over it.” He gave a weak smile up at Gerard, gripping his hand tighter as a chorus of screams echoed from the movie. Taking a deep breath in and finding some courage, Frank slowly sat up in Gerard’s lap and placed a hand on the side of his face. Closing his eyes, he kissed him, ignoring the blood on his lips and held it for what felt like an eternity. A grunt of approval was all Gerard could manage, completely in love with the mixture of passion and blood – something he had never experienced properly before. As they parted from the kiss, Gerard looked down to see light smudges of blood on Frank’s lips and he couldn’t help but smile. Instead of wiping them off or showing disgust, Frank just gave him a smug look and licked his lips, falling back down into his lap and taking up interest in the movie again. Gerard did the same, though his mind was elsewhere as he pictured Frank covered in blood – a harmless bit of fun, he mused. Despite his obvious trepidations about what may happen in the future, he was not ready to stand in the way of what this could be. Frank liked Gerard, and Gerard certainly liked Frank.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Due to some stupid Ao3 glitch or error, this entire work was deleted and I lost all my chapters besides chapter 1.  
> However, everything is saved to my OneDrive so I will upload all of them back onto Ao3 asap, but I am pretty sure I will lose my comments and kudos so please - if you are here to read my new chapter, could you leave a new kudos as well as your comments as they may have been deleted along with my story.

_Two months after the end of chapter seven._

 

The cool Thursday afternoon breeze was blowing lightly underneath the heavy grey clouds that silhouetted the sky. The past six or so weeks had come offering damp days and dark skylines, there didn’t seem to be much chance of an end to it in the near future. But it was not all bad, Frank and Gerard had taken it as a sign to stay in and spend time together – just the pair of them. Though in reality, neither of them had many other people to spend time with. Since Gerard had shown his true colors to Frank things had gone smoothly, the first few weeks of it had been a little strange, there was somewhat of a learning curve to dating a vampire but that was to be expected. Fortunately, there had not been another incident like the one the first night they had spent together, of course there was one or two close calls but Gerard had kept himself under control and it had not gone unnoticed to Frank’s eye – he had always made sure Gerard was…rewarded…for his control. The hour had pushed on and the sun was almost gone behind the cloudy skyline, a dim purple hue was the last that could be seen from the city streets and Frank stopped a few moments to admire it. Despite the fact that it was daytime, Gerard had agreed to a day out – explaining that with such heavy cloud cover and almost imminent rain it was safe for him to be out at this time. The pair had shuffled down the quiet streets ducking in and out of afternoon coffee shops, bakeries and the odd bar. It had become apparent to the both of them that despite certain details they could enjoy – for the most part – normal days and nights together. “Feel like doing anything specifically, or are you happy just moseying about?” Gerard cocked his head to the side as he gave Frank’s hand a small squeeze, glancing down at him. Thinking to himself for a moment, Frank glanced around as he brainstormed possible destinations for their unorganized outing. “I don’t mind, it’s a nice evening.” They rounded a corner onto a busier street and passed two nightclubs. “We could go in…” Gerard couldn’t help but laugh, “Oh yea…we really belong in a noisy, crowded room!” They both laughed and continued up the street turning the next corner until Gerard stopped in front of an apartment complex and reached down into his pocket, searching for something. “Um, care to enlighten me as to where we are?” Frank sighed, as usual Gerard was keeping things secret from him – something he loved to do as often as possible just so he could enjoy the look of confusion that would spread across Frank’s face like wildfire, it was adorable. That cocky ass smile he so often wore – and often wore so well – spread across Gerard’s face. “We are at my place, of course!” He said it casually, as if it were no big deal, it was anything but. In actual fact it was a huge deal because Frank had not yet been to Gerard’s place. They had always met up at Frank’s, a movie or a coffee hut, but never at Gerard’s. Frank wasn’t exactly sure why it seemed so…ominous…he knew Gerard better than anyone else did, and vice versa, so what could possibly be so shocking about his apartment? 

“I…oh, um…” It wasn’t exactly poetry or words of great literature, but it was the best he could do. 

“What, afraid I am luring you into a trap?” The sly smirk spread across his face and he pushed both hands deep into his pockets. “Afraid I am just playing with my food?” 

My…God…this man is a complete cock, Frank giggled to himself. “Well maybe I am scared of the big old vampire?” He gave a wink and jogged up the stone stairs towards the front door, purposely 

taking a second to linger halfway up to give Gerard a perfect view of his ass – it wasn’t crazy adventurous but it was a little fun to stir him up – Frank didn’t need eyes in the back of his head to catch Gerard staring. 

The two of them climbed three flights of stairs, giving a quiet nod and greeting to Misses Dawson who lived one floor below Gerard – a nice little old lady who always said hello to Gerard, believing him to be God’s gift to fucking mankind with his charm and looks…evidently she was missing a small part of the story. Apartment 231a, that was where they had ended up. It was a normal enough place, for what that was worth, Frank still wasn’t sure what he was expecting. Gerard unlocked the door and looked back at Frank, still wearing that stupid smile. “There’s no turning back, you know that right?” He laughed and stepped aside to let Frank in. The hallway was dimly lit, with wooden floors and white walls. Frank stood in the doorway peering around patiently. He felt Gerard’s hands on his shoulders and turned his head to be met with a kiss – he indulged it and breathed in sharply as the myriad of feelings and emotions spread throughout his body. I can’t believe this is real, it’s almost too god to be true! Though they had been together for a total of almost two months now, Frank still pinched himself every now and again when he felt his excitement grow at the prospect of falling in love with someone like Gerard. As he opened his eyes Frank noticed Gerard had flipped the hallway light on, and he got to take in the full beauty that was his vampire lover. Gerard’s hair was pitch black and medium length, just coming down over his eyes – when it wasn’t brushed back. He was obviously taller than Frank, something Gerard never failed to find amusing as Frank would always have to stretch up onto his toes to kiss Gerard. For all intents and purposes, Gerard was fit the ‘tall dark and handsome’ bill. On the other hand, Frank was slightly less perfect – at least in his mind. He was not as tall as Gerard, only coming up to the top of his chest and his hair just sort of…did its own thing. It was dark brown and most of the time was just a mess, but Gerard seemed to like it and he never complained so Frank assumed he was doing something right. 

Finally moving back from the long kiss, Frank gave a small smile and slowly shuffled down the hallway. As he came around the corner he entered the living room and was suddenly surprised as to what he saw. Canvases hung on the walls each displaying some old fashioned landscape or city block that had long since died away at the mercy of the modern age. “Where did you get these?” He walked up to the closest one, placing a hand on the side as if trying to reach into them and take a piece of the lost landscape for himself. “I didn’t buy them, I painted them…a long time ago now.” Gerard shrugged and walked into the kitchen, the sound of the refrigerator opening rang through the doorway a few moments later. “Wait. You painted these? They’re amazing, do you sell any?” A few moments passed before there was any answer, and Frank continued to admire the various artworks that colored the walls. Finally, he heard Gerard reappear behind him – faster than any normal person, but you got used to that eventually – and he turned with a smile. “No don’t think I have ever sold any…never needed to.” 

Frank was about to go on and tell him just how good his work was, when he took note of the expression Gerard was wearing – a significant change from when they had arrived. “Are yo-…you okay?” Frank reached up and placed a hand against Gerard’s arm, giving it a squeeze. “I forgot” is all he managed, disappointment covering his face. “Forgot what, I’m sure it’s no big deal babe?” Placing a hand on the back of his head with a sigh, Gerard ran a hand through his hair. “Run out of blood bags, I guess I have been hanging around yours so much I haven’t thought about visiting the blood bank.” The words were serious, a rarity when the two of the spent time together. Frank nodded, a little worried at the news. “Well I mean; you can just go get some tonight can’t you?” His attempts to cover the knot of anxiety growing in his gut were not as subtle as he would have hoped. 

“Actually I think they have sort of started to catch on that something is up…” Gerard sat down on the sofa with a sigh and let his hands fall into his palms, rubbing his eyes. “I mean I haven’t really done this before so I just picked a few of the closest and found my way inside. But after these past few weeks they have wised up and security has been…tight.” The tone of frustration was seeping through Gerard’s words and Frank was starting to suspect that the lack of fresh human blood was having an effect on him. 

Sitting down on Gerard’s lap, Frank kissed him on the forehead and put his arms around him. “Can you survive on IV bags like this long term?” 

The expression on Gerard’s face betrayed his feelings on the matter, and knew he could not lie to Frank. “I can survive, but I won’t be as strong as usual…the cravings will get worse” he sighed, “I will manage don’t worry.” He found a smile and pulled Frank into a light kiss. 

It bothered Frank that Gerard had to ‘manage’ and suffer with cravings, he couldn’t imagine what it must be like to constantly be battling with yourself over control. But there wasn’t much he could do, only Gerard could get into the blood banks and in this state he may not be strong enough to get past all the extra security. The two sat together silently, exchanging small kisses and lingering looks, Frank had something on his mind but he was scared to ask – he wasn’t sure if he was scared because of Gerard’s possible reaction or if it was because he may say yes. “You can take mine.” Gerard swallowed hard, looking up at Frank somewhat confused as to what he actually meant. He can’t actually be suggesting what I think he is suggesting, can he? “What do you mean, your what?” There was a waver in his voice at the unease he was suddenly feeling. Looking him directly in the eye, Frank spoke calmly and quietly. “My blood, you can have it.” He still wasn’t sure about any of this, it was scary and weird…but it was for Gerard, there was no better reason to at least give it a try. 

“Frank…I…I can’t do that to you.” How can he be serious, he knows what I am like when I get hungry, I could fucking kill him. The risks surrounding what he was proposing were not lost on him, but it was not important if it was going to help Gerard. “Gerard” he swallowed hard. “What?” 

“Shut up and stop arguing.” A smirk climbed across his face, trying to alleviate some of the tension slowly building between the two of them. “Look, I know it is a bit stupid and dangerous but…you are not going to hurt me, and I don’t want you to suffer from these cravings. At least this way you can still drink fresh blood and not…hurt people.” Frank shivered at the thought of some of the things Gerard had done…that he knew about. Despite being okay with them, he wasn’t okay with them. Three weeks ago during one of their nights together, they had begun talking about Gerard’s past life and that, eventually, led to his hunting routine. At first Gerard kept it vague and didn’t elaborate, thinking he would spare Frank such horrors. But despite this Frank had insisted on asking questions and he had little choice but to answer them. Gerard had purposefully left out the night with Ray – that made him uncomfortable, and telling Frank wouldn’t do either of them any good – but he explained some of the other things that had happened over the last few years. He admitted to crimes that would normally be unforgivable and during their discussion he thought for a while he may be losing Frank…he may start to see him for a monster. But to his surprise, Frank was not disturbed by this information – at least not enough to show it outwardly – he understood, and he explained that he did not believe the true Gerard could ever hurt anyone. To hear such a thing was indeed comforting, but strangely Gerard began feeling more guilt towards his past actions after Frank had learnt about it. Maybe because he never looked back and never thought about the lives he had taken, out of shame or perhaps disgust – he wasn’t sure – but he had now faced them and it was indeed bloody and violent…but his past could not be undo, so he had stomached it and moved on. 

Placing both hands on Frank’s face, Gerard kissed him and sighed knowing arguing with Frank was a fruitless endeavor that would gain him nothing – the little shit was to clever for his own good. Opening his eyes as their lips parted briefly, he saw the flicker of uncertainty in Frank and it made him ever more wary about giving consideration to the idea. On the bright side, it would let him get back to feeling ‘normal’ and the burning in the back of his throat would lighten up – something that had been growing ever more…inconvenient. The word rang through his body almost as quickly as the thought had come to him, and the burning responded almost instinctively by flaring up. If he was going to do this, he was going to do it right. 

Gerard reached around and wrapped his arms around Frank, lifting him up with a smile and kissing him as he walked towards his bedroom. Words were not needed right now, they would get in the way and were a cumbersome form of communicating one’s feelings compared to the other avenues available to the pair. Frank fell back on to the bed, looking up to see Gerard all flustered and messy hair staring back at him. He breathed heavily as he clawed at Gerard’s shirt, leaving him little choice but to remove it and toss it aside. Frank smiled as he ran his hands down the smooth, cold skin. “I don’t think I can ever get tired of this.” Giggling and looking down to see the smug little shit staring back at him, Gerard kissed Frank and bit down lightly on his lip, keeping his eyes open so he could watch Frank’s reaction. From their first night together Gerard had always found the fact that Frank enjoyed being bitten – at least playfully – exciting and a dead turn on. He moved his fingers down Frank’s neck and undid the buttons on his shirt, pulling it off with a moan as his eyes moved down Frank’s naked body. He was beautiful, this was a sight Gerard would never find boring. “Fuck me you’re attractive” he groaned, nuzzling his head into Frank’s chest and kissing his chest. 

“Is that an invitation?” Frank eyed him and winked, pulling Gerard by the hair for another kiss as he started thrusting into Gerard, listening to his moans of enjoyment. As he did, he placed a hand on the back of Gerard’s head and carefully pulled him into his neck, Frank rolled his head to the side 

and exposed his neck. The gesture was clear and Frank knew Gerard had gotten the message, he sucked in a sharp breath and bit his tongue – unsure exactly what to expect. “I…I am ready, Gerard.” He stumbled with his words, a little anxious but he stood by what he said; he was there for Gerard and would do whatever it was he needed. 

Still uncertain if this was a good idea, Gerard wrapped his hands around Frank and kissed him lightly, whispering in his ear, each word laced in passion and…possibly even love. “Are you sure about this Frankie?” Frankie. The way he said it just sounded so good, he loved it. “Yea, don’t worry – you won’t hurt me Gerard.” He found the courage he needed to calm his mind and ready himself. Placing his lips against the soft, warm skin of Frank’s neck, Gerard felt the fangs push through his gums and grow slowly – the pain was there but overshadowed by the growing lust deep in his gut. He could smell the precious liquid flowing through the many veins and arteries throughout Frank’s body, it was right there for the taking. Gerard’s eyes took on their red tinge and he could feel that his fangs were fully grown, taking in a deep breath he positioned his mouth over Frank’s neck and sat still for a moment – he was ready. The long, sharp fangs pierced the soft skin and sank deep into Frank’s neck, and the smell was almost overpowering. 

Frank suddenly felt it, it was like an intense burning pain – unlike anything he had ever felt before – and he couldn’t contain all of it, he cried out a little and clenched his hands into fists. His breath labored but he contained the cry that was forming in his stomach, holding onto the love that first promoted the decision to offer himself up to Gerard as strength. 

It was like nothing he had ever tasted before, it was pure and warm and different to what he had experienced in the past. This was the first time Gerard had ever taken blood from someone willing, perhaps that had something to do with its perfect taste? 

The battle within him was chaotic and violent, the caged beast that dwelled in the dark areas of his heart rattling at its bars. He couldn’t afford to lose control, not when it was Frank’s life at stake. Gerard sucked at the two wounds and took in the blood with a moan, his tongue lapping at the area and ensuring not a single drop was wasted. He felt Frank’s body tense up at the pain he was undoubtedly in, but there was no protest or struggle – Frank simply laid there and allowed it to continue. Lifting his lips from Frank’s neck, Gerard again whispered into his ear. “Are you alright?” Gerard’s lips were bright red and his tongue stained slightly, there was a small smile in the corner of his mouth. Calming the shiver that was making its way through his body, Frank turned to eye Gerard – finding the dripping blood from his lips slightly…or maybe even moderately…sexy, though he wasn’t sure why. “I’m alright…don’t worry, it is just a little painful but I can handle it.” He managed a weak smile and pushed towards Gerard, joining their lips. He could taste his own blood – it had a metal tang to it and was mildly warm – and to his surprise it wasn’t the most horrible thing he had ever tasted. However, he began to feel lightheaded, his vision blurring over and becoming foggy. Gerard saw the change and removed his fangs completely from Frank’s neck, doing his best to be gentle and not hurt him any more than he already had. There was not an unlimited amount of blood in the human body, and he had already taken more than he needed – Gerard could feel his strength returning. If he was to take anymore Frank would pass out, and even suffer side effects of blood loss. 

“Don’t worry if you are feeling a bit off, your body just needs time to restock is all.” He smiled, and licked the wound clean whilst the blood began to clot. Gerard took Frank into his arms properly and 

let him fall into his bare chest, he was going to be fine, but he needed rest. Frank had already taken the hint and was falling down the rabbit hole once more into a dream filled sleep – various images of an array of things he probably wouldn’t be able to identify or make any sense of later on - and Frank sighed quietly as he felt Gerard hold him tightly. He was not completely conscious or aware, but Frank managed to string one last sentence together. “I love you, Gerard.”


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Due to some stupid Ao3 glitch or error, this entire work was deleted and I lost all my chapters besides chapter 1.  
> However, everything is saved to my OneDrive so I will upload all of them back onto Ao3 asap, but I am pretty sure I will lose my comments and kudos so please - if you are here to read my new chapter, could you leave a new kudos as well as your comments as they may have been deleted along with my story.

The taste was fresh on his lips, the smell still hanging in the air – Gerard was as high as one could be, high on Frank’s blood. It had been about an hour or so since Frank fell asleep and Gerard had decided to lay with him, watching Frank sleep was a guilty pleasure of his and it always calmed him. Running a hand through Frank’s messy hair, Gerard leaned over and gently kissed him on the lips – still tasting hints of where he had stained Frank’s lips earlier with his own blood. The kiss caused him to stir ever so slightly, and Gerard was sure he saw the ghost of a smile before Frank fell back into his deep slumber. He was perfect, a perfect partner for an imperfect monster. “How beauty and the beast” he mumbled with a giggle. Despite his advanced age, Gerard had never done anything like this. The past three hundred or so years were a blur of guilt and a nomadic lifestyle. It had become clear to him early on that staying in one town to long attracted attention to the fact that he didn’t age. Nowadays that wasn’t really an issue, people rarely cared for one another living in the city or gave two shits about who they were…or what they were, a stark change to the time he had come from where gossip spread like some disease or wildfire. Gerard gently ran a hand down Frank’s bare chest, feeling the soft warm skin beneath his fingers. He let his hand trail down to Frank’s legs, and around to his cute ass that he would never – even if he lived another 10,000 years – get sick of touching, because it was also perfect. Gerard smiled silently to himself and sighed, laying back on the bed hands behind his head. Ever since meeting Frank two months ago his sleeping pattern had done some crazy ass moves, he was sale during the day – which was weird as fuck, how do people even do that – and sometimes up at night with Frank. Of course being the evil creature of darkness he was, sleep wasn't on the list of most important things…but it was still a hassle to feel so tired. But, it was a small price to pay. As he closed his eyes and listened to Frank's quiet breathing, he remembered the last words he had spoken before falling to sleep. ‘I love you, Gerard.’ Those words, those precious and wonderful words had done something to him. As he drifted into sleep, he was certain that, just for a moment…a single second…he felt his heartbeat. 

Whether it was the violent splintering of the door frame, or the sudden noisy yelling emanating from the kitchen that woke Gerard, he wasn't sure. But as his eyes opened he could smell the foreign and unfamiliar scent of someone else – but there was a moment, just a single moment that passed as quickly as it came…that Gerard thought he knew this smell, this stranger…but it passed and he pulled himself back into reality. It took only seconds for him to realise that Frank was not beside him, and with ferocious speed he sprang from the bed and manifested in the door way of the bedroom, looking out into the living room. The lounge room looked as if some mighty battle between Gods and Titans had taken place, there were shattered glasses on the floor, chairs strewn out in random fashion, the glass coffee table had been kicked over and smashed…this made little sense. Gerard had little of value to steal, so he had no clue why anyone would break into his apartment. But suddenly he realised his priorities had changed, where was Frank? There standing in the corner near the door was a hooded figure, grasping the end of a small black gun. And locked in his other arm…was Frank. 

“Gerar-….” Frank attempted to speak, to cry out, to plea, but as he did a hand came up and covered his mouth with a violent force. Though his voice was now muffled, it was clear Frank was trying to call out for Gerard. 

“Who are you!?” He motioned to move forward with his superhuman speed, but stopped when the nose of the gun rested itself on Frank’s temple. Was he fast enough? Even if he was, was he confident enough in his abilities to ensure Frank’s safety? No. He had once played with mortal lives as if they were children’s toys to be discarded once all the fun had been sucked out of them, but this was Frank. Any risk at this point was too great. “I hope you don’t plan on trying to stop me – I would hate to lodge a bullet inside your little lover’s brain. You’re fast, but I don’t think you are quite that fast.” The voice was low and laced with contempt, a deep seeded hatred woven into the words, but who would hate Gerard? Yes, he has done things in his life that had earned him some enemies, but it wasn’t as if he publicly announced his movements. Other than Frank, no one even knew who he was or where he lived – he wasn’t one to make friends. The stranger lowered his hood, the dim illumination of the lamplight falling over his pale face. For a moment, Gerard was unsure who he was looking at for a moment and then the words found their way to his lips, creeping up from the knot in his stomach. “…Ray...” It was hardly the person he had expected, he had never thought to see him again, and why the fuck was he here, and why the fuck was he holding a gun to Frank’s head…what the actual fuck was even going on. “I knew you wouldn’t…. that you wouldn’t forget me Gerard, I just knew it!” Ray breathed heavily, squeezing the handle of the gun, his sweaty hands shaking. His eyes had dark rings around them and by the looks of it he hadn’t slept in weeks at least and there was a hint of something in his eye, something tiny but defined, something out of control, and Gerard knew exactly what it was. Unchained, uncontrolled, lust. 

“Ray…what…what the fuck are you doing?!” Gerard motioned forward, his frustration building fast, waving his hands. “How the shit did you even find me and…and why have you got Frank and…what the ACTUAL FUCK IS GOING ON!” That was it, Gerard was ready to snap. It took every ounce of control not to dart forward with all the speed his superior body possessed and snap Ray’s neck – it would be like taking a toothpick between his fingers and applying the smallest pressure, the bones and the cartilage would melt away, he would be able to feel the very essence of life slip from Ray’s body as he squeezed the last beat out of his heart. Ray wasn’t just in his house, he wasn’t just trashing his apartment and he wasn’t just invading Gerard’s personal space… He was threatening Frank. No, he wasn’t just threatening Frank, he was threatening HIS Frank. Gerard could see the arm tightening around Frank’s mouth and face, pulling his head to the side so his face was derationed away from Ray, the gun pushed violently up against his neck – pointing right up into his skull. The expression on Ray’s face said more than any words he muttered and spat could, it was pure mania – there was something very wrong with him. “Gerard…Gerard…Gerard!” he splattered without any real continuity, driving the head of the gun into the fragile skin of Frank’s throat, a deep purple bruise forming and marking his perfect skin. “How could you….how could you Gerard? After 

me…after us…everything and…what we did and had…then you go and get this…this little fuck. I mean, look at him he isn’t even cute!” The agitation grew in Ray’s voice, as if everything that was standing before him insulted him in some strange deluded way. “Ray!” Gerard put both hands on his head, clenching at his hair to stop himself pouncing forward. “We didn’t have anything! I…we…it was rape, OK Ray. It wasn’t sex or love, I raped you!” It felt like someone was driving a wedge of rusty metal right into his side, it was a physical pain – shame, embarrassment, disgust so great and so very very wrong that it physically hurt him. Ray had not been the first he had taken advantage of physically during one of his feeds - but like the hunter who went after a great buck in the wild, once he had cornered his prey and wounded it he did the merciful thing and slit its throat, he did not leave it to slowly bleed and suffer. But the person Gerard was when he had entered Ray’s tent, was not the same one that came out a few hours later. He had been careless and waited too long after feeding to finish off Ray and his rational and normal side had come back into control – a side of him that could not kill someone he had just hurt. Though Frank couldn’t talk, his eyes spoke volumes. The inside of Frank’s mind was a mess, Rape…what…what does he mean rape, who the fuck is Ray and why didn’t Gerard tell me about him. It didn’t make sense! In the time before Frank had met Gerard and their strange, complex relationship had begun he spent all of his time worried, uncomfortable, scared and feeling as if his entire existence was only moments away from coming crashing down. But then he met Gerard and that is when he began to feel safe. Gerard was more than a match for anyone – like his prick of a father to pick an example out of the air – and it was obvious how protective he was of Frank. There was nothing to ever be afraid of…until now. “I’m sorry this lesson has to be hard on you, Gerard. But just…just…please…just see the bigger picture, I am going to show you that you don’t need this little fucker. All you need is me, and then it will be all fine…all good, okay? Ray started to back out of the doorway with Frank in tow, yanking him with one arm around his neck and keeping his eyes fixed on Gerard. “Where the fuck do you think you’re go-…!” There wasn’t enough time for Gerard to finish the sentence, the bullet hit him right in the middle of the head before his first step connected with the ground – a dead center head shot – and it knocked him backwards with a screech. The force of the close range shot sent him hurtling back into the broken coffee table and shattered glass. He fell down in a heap and his perfect, spotless skin was all of a sudden awash with gashes, cuts and lacerations as the glass dug deep and implanted itself within him. Of course, Gerard was not dead…well, actually he was already dead. That didn’t stop it from hurting however, and being shot in the face hurt a shit load. Normally, these cuts and wounds – and the hole in his fucking head – would have already healed by now, but Gerard’s system was only running on the blood he had taken from Frank the night previous, and while it was fresh human blood, he could not take more than just enough to sustain him without killing Frank. This left him in a weakened state and he rolled over, feeling the glass shards dig into his back as he lay his weight onto them and he let out a groan. With some effort - and a truck load of anger he intended to dump directly on top of Ray when he got his hands around his neck -, he pulled himself up and sat still. Moving to much in any one direction simply burrowed the glass deeper inside. “Fuck me…fuck…fuck…fuck…FUCK…FUCK…FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK, F.U.C.K. FUCK!” Gerard breathed out, the plethora of ‘fucks’ he had just expelled calming him slightly. With long loud grunts of pain, he yanked the shards of blood stained glass from his body, the profuse bleeding from 

each of the large lacerations stopping the moment the shard was removed – his healing may not be instant, but as a vampire his blood platelet count was drastically higher than that of a human which meant his blood clotted almost instantly. Once he had removed most of the glass and the pain had started to subside, he got up and walked to the kitchen bench, opening the drawn and taking out one of the long thin filleting knives. He sighed at what he was about to do – having done it once or twice before a long time ago – and picked up the kitchen rag that was hanging by the sink. Placing it in his mouth, he bit down hard and raised the knife above his forehead and angled it down so the extremely sharp point was facing the area the bullet had entered. Breathing deep and clutching the counter top with his free hand, he pushed the knife into the wound and slowly progressed through the channel the bullet had made into his skull. He roared with pain, and almost broke the marble bench top with his grip, this was one of the most painful things he had ever had to do to himself. Moving the knife side to side, he found where the bullet, it had impacted a bone which had stopped its flight. Luckily, there was little shattering and Gerard began to dig the knife around beside the bullet – a scream escaping from his ragged mouth and a slight split in the marble streaking up the long counter top from where he was holding on. Finally, he managed to manoeuvre the knife in beside the crushed bullet and began to rotate and jerk, slowly but surely it dislodged and eventually fell from his skull trailed with a waterfall of blood. Dropping the knife and grasping the counter, Gerard attempted to hold himself aloft but fell backwards as the sustainable blood loss he had endured got the better of him. With the last ounce of energy, he had left in him, he clawed across the floor, attempting to get to the door…I must…get…Frank…he insisted silently to himself, but before he got within three meters, he was out cold and left there to slowly recuperate in an unconscious haze. . Meanwhile “GERARD!” Frank struggled free of the hand around his face, managing the one cry of terror at the gruesome sight that had befallen his beloved before the back of his head met the stub of the black hand gun, and his vision hazed and the pain spread like a cancer from his skull into his neck and back before finally he felt his limbs go limp and he sunk into a deep unconsciousness, a void of black where nothing – not even his wild imagination or passionate and obsessive emotions could conjure up images of the brutal and traumatic events that had taken place that morning. There was no noise, there was no light, there was no feeling or warmth or cold…there was no Gerard. Frank was lost, and whilst his mind tripped and stumbled in an attempt to wake him – to no avail – his heart cried out, it screamed, it thrashed, it imploded and spasmed at the overwhelming torment of being separated from Gerard and for leaving him in a heap of blood and pain. For a few moments – a fraction of a second – Frank’s heart stopped and he died. He died because Gerard was gone. He died because there was nothing left for him. He died because his world had come to a miserable end. But then, somehow someway somewhere inside him, a light was lit, and it reignited the strained and tender heart - despite the affliction that had overtaken it – and it once again started to beat and live. That light was hope. For no matter how strongly the long and bony fingers of disquietude gripped the tender organ, it knew Gerard was coming. Though he was unaware of the things happening around him, Frank’s lips managed to string together that complex and small strand of hope into a sentence. “Help me Gerard, you’re my only hope…”


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Due to some stupid Ao3 glitch or error, this entire work was deleted and I lost all my chapters besides chapter 1.  
> However, everything is saved to my OneDrive so I will upload all of them back onto Ao3 asap, but I am pretty sure I will lose my comments and kudos so please - if you are here to read my new chapter, could you leave a new kudos as well as your comments as they may have been deleted along with my story.

Empty.   
That was the only way to really describe what Frank saw, or felt, or heard.   
Just, empty.   
He had never been knocked unconscious before, and thought one might dream or hallucinate whilst their body tripped and stumbled through the concussion and physical trauma – but instead there was simply nothing, an interesting concept Frank had given quite some time to. Nothing was almost, in itself, a contradiction. Because nothing itself was something. Yet here he was; he couldn't feel himself breathing, there was no light, no warmth or cold, no sound and light no movement. It wasn't even a simple wash of black – like when one turns off the bedroom lights – there was no colour but simply a lack of existence or substance…limbo.   
That is where he sat, where he inhabited whilst he waited for whatever it was that was going to happen...to happen.   
Similarly, to the void in which he was now prison in, inside of him there was nothing – he was not scared, he was not hopeful, he was not angry or happy. He didn't want anything nor did he feel anything, it was as if some omniscient creator had pressed Frank’s factory reset button, he was a clean slate ready to be remoulded by new events and feelings and experiences.   
As quickly as Frank had accepted oblivion and the reconditioning of his life he was met with a hard, blunt shock. It was only now that he returned to his body – his life, his feelings and problems – and saw that this mystery force that had assaulted him so, had in fact been the right fist of Ray's hand across his face.   
“Fuck you…” He managed, breathing heavily and spitting blood onto the ground in front of him.   
It was now clear his hands were bound behind a chair with a tightly knotted rope - somewhat movie cliché if you asked him, but he wasn't the one doing the kidnapping so he want really in any position to judge…whatever, maybe he would bring it up later – and his feet were similarly restrained. He glanced down, seeing the blood splattered on his shirt, _my new fucking shirt that I bought to impress Gerard and this fucker has ruined it…son of a bitch, I'm going to fucking kill him_.   
It was evident the knock to the head had somewhat muddled his priorities, _but still it was a nice fucking shirt..asshole_. Glancing up to the rather manic and unstable face that lurked in front of him like some nightmarish creature concocted in the depths of his mind, where only his fears and anxieties had the courage to venture. 

"Well it's nice that you're finally awake, I though I'd have to wait all night!” Ray danced about and waved his hands in exaggerated and dramatic gestures – adding more certainty to the depths of his depravity. “I can answer your first question before you ask it...no Gerard isn't here and…no, he won't be coming…not for a while at least. He tapped his watch and then pointed toward one of the windows that sat high near the ceiling – they must have been in some sort of sunken shop or lobby as he could see the occasional set of shoes pass by – and the sun danced lightly on the heavily reinforced glass. “Unless our blood sucking friend has found a way to day walk we are safe for the moment.”  

Frank had never been so depressed to see the sun, it must of only been noon at best…there were hours left until night, and his stomach knotted up at the idea of the prolonged exposure to such…unfiltered insanity. 

“And what is it you…want…from me?” He asked, doing his best to stay calm and to feel in control – though he had lost control long, long ago. 

A dark and gut wrenching smirk spilled out across Ray's face – like the as if he had been waiting all this time for that single question. The smile seemed to upset Frank more than the entire kidnapping, the knocking unconscious, being tied up in a strange place where no one could find him. There was simply something about it which made promises of pain and suffering that could not be conveyed through the use of such simple words. 

“what am I…” He paused, putting a finger to his lips letting his eyes trail down Frank’s creased and messy clothes before continuing, “going to do to you?” The way he accented and let the ‘to’ drag out, the way he specified exactly that what he WAS going to do (which was, now without a doubt, inevitable going to take place) – he was going to do TO Frank. 

There was a long pause, a very long and unnatural pause that made the dark corners of the room creep up around him, great big hands of malice reaching out to drag him down and pull him into the earth, far away from hope and happiness. 

There were few words Frank could possibly find to plead for mercy, and he couldn't contain the quiver that made its way up his spine and into his lips, he couldn't hold back the tear that traipsed down his cheek as the glint of madness flashed in the corner of Ray's eye. “Please…” Is all he could manage, a single word…a simple word that was on its own basic and boring. But behind it there was a complex system of emotion and terror that was begging to be noticed. 

This amused Ray, more than it would amuse someone normally – but Ray wasn't normal, after all – and Frank could see him moving things around in front of him out of view, the sound of metal objects scratching a metal tray of some kind. Moving back into the dim light that illuminated the room, the insane smile has reappeared and in his hand he held a somewhat large knife – probably used to cut meat – and twirled it threateningly in front of Frank's face. 

“Once you stop being so pretty and…” His words trailed off as he played with the various options at his disposal, “I'm not sure what it is you have. What is it that makes you so much better than me, Hm? Why does he want you, what could some little…blonde haired prick do that I couldn't?” As he spoke, the anger seemed to build inside of him as he had an inward argument or fight over some unknown topic. 

“I don't even fucking know who you are okay! I'm sorry but I have no idea what the fuck this even is about like…” Frank couldn't hold back the tremble of fear, the threads of fear that had so quickly woven their way deep into him for he was growing more and more uncertain as to what exactly Ray had planned for him – the menacing grin did little to help quell the growing ball of bile in his gut. 

“So he hasn't even told you!?” Ray seemed almost insulted that he had hadn’t been awarded the honour of mention amidst the complicated intricacies that made up Gerard and Frank's relationship. “Well…” He lowered the knife, keeping it tightly gripped in his palm 

for the moment – seeming for more interested in revealing to Frank the big secret that everyone seemed to know, save for him. “Before…you…Gerard found me, and we shared a night together, and he took not only my body but my blood. We were one and it was like nothing your little ignorant mind could imagine.” Ray was caught up in the swell of memory, the brilliance of the night that he had fallen in love with Gerard – but it faded as quickly as it had come, and the jealous and angry look took form once more as his grip on the knife tightened.  

Frank couldn't believe what he was hearing. He knew Gerard had some things, like…it was just apart of who he was. You did not blame the lion for eating the gazelle. But this was something more, he had shared his body with Ray, he had not only shared in the physical aspect of delight that was the bonding of two forms, but he had fed from Ray – as a willing supplicant it appeared – and that took it to an all new level. Gerard and Frank had spent many a night discussing some of Gerard's more questionable encounters over his long decades, and while they were uncomfortable…sometimes, Frank had always understood. But that stuff was a long time ago, ten years…fifty…one hundred.   
But this, this was recent.   
This had happened just before they had met, it was fresh and raw and real, and Frank couldn't help but feel as if Gerard had intentionally left this cache of information out because he knew Frank wouldn't be as accepting of it as he had the other things – it was shameful, it was horrible and it hurt him personally, and when…if…Gerard and him managed to find themselves once again sitting on the couch…they would be having some serious talks.   
Perhaps it was the suddenness of it, or possibly the sheer amount of sharp, lightning pain that yanked Frank back from his inward considerations of what he had learnt about Gerard, but when he came back into the fray and looked down, he saw – somewhat to his dismay – the silver serrated blade that was only moments ago palmed in Ray’s hand, now lodged in his right leg, a few centimetres above his knee cap.   
At first, he made no noise, no outward indication of the tremendous pain he was experiencing. He sat there, mouth open in silent contrariety and eyes open wide in horror, taking extra moments to process the shock of what had just happened.   
Finally, the emotions and pain surfaced amidst the confusion and uncertainty and Frank let out a shrill cry of displeasure – so raw and so sharp it could probably of shattered a glass – and he rocked and moved violently in his restrained position, to no avail. 

Ray had little to say, far to lost in the depths of enjoyment at the terror he had invoked in the one who had taken what he deemed to be his. The smile – the one that had shaken Frank to his core and disturbed him on the most primordial and deepest level, had managed to grow even more terrifying and menacing in the dim light of the cold, concrete room. 

“FUCK YOU!” Frank screamed with a passion and certainty unlike any emotion he had ever managed to manifest previous to this situation. He let out another cry as Ray dragged the knife up his leg a centimetre, turning it slowly and carefully with great precision, ensuring each twist…each jerk or tug hit a nerve and ripped muscle. The knife was extreme sharp, despite the grievous damage and pain being inflicted upon his leg the wound itself was clean and defined. It bled slowly, but not profusely as one would expect – Frank would not have the luxury of passing out or dying of blood loss anytime soon. 

“What would happen if you weren't so perfect, hm?” Ray kept a tight grip on the hilt of the knife, holding it in place – lodge within one of Frank's leg muscles – and moved his face in closer; so close his breath could be felt on the skin. “I think, if you suddenly stopped being so ‘pure’ and perfect, Gerard may see you for the filthy little whore that you are!” Ray put force on the knife and it once again dug deep - Frank's screams echoing through the room and bouncing off the nearby walls – his face was so close, it was too close.   
As he slowly rotated the serrated blade, Ray leaned in and kissed Frank forcefully and without restraint. It was violent and rough, but he didn't care – he would wreck whatever it was that made Frank so perfect and Gerard would then understand it was he who was so great, not this little shit. 

Frank tried his best to break this unwanted kiss, but his bound hands and feet made it near impossible to resist the force that was being thrust upon him. He felt dirty, he felt disgusted that his lips were touching Ray's.  

Pulling back with a smirk, Ray continued to find places to wedge the knife in Frank's leg, and enjoyed every last whimper and scream as if it were a drug he had become addicted to. With a jerk – and a level of effort – he yanked the knife from Frank's leg and simply stood there, watching. He watched Frank slowly break, that defiant wit and misplaced hope was crumbling and they had only just started. Wanting to ensure his guest did not die to soon, Ray picked up some dressing that sat on the metal table and tightly bound the leg – it did not stop the bleeding, but the wound was slowly clotting and he had been careful not to nick any manor arteries. For now, at least, Frank would remain with him.   
This entire experience was more than just thrilling, and his bold was pumping like he had just ran a marathon. He found himself aroused at the idea of destroying and corrupting the thing that Gerard believed to be so good and pure, and he felt his jeans tighten as he became more and more turned on. Laying the knife down beside him on the table – next t the myriad of tools and objects he had assembled to possibly test out on Frank – he took his face in both hands, and with a strong yank forward pulled Frank into a full mouthed kiss that he couldn't get out of. Ray let it drag out, the strong feelings and dark arousal flooding his system again, this time so much so that he moaned amidst the kiss – something that bothered Frank immensely on a deep level, for it told of things to come that may yet be even more horrible than this torture. 

As their lips detached from one another, Frank spat on the floor and made his disgust clear. “How dare you…” He began, lacing his words with powerful feelings and disgust – layering it like a painter would layer a wall – making sure each syllable was toned and adjusted to display his emotions. “How dare you touch me like that; a filthy piece of scum like you. You have no idea the sort of painful death you are ensuring for yourself when Gerard finds out what you have done to me…that you have touched me like that.” He spoke in the slim hope that his threats would be enough to deter Ray from his current train of thought on how best to destroy Frank in the eyes of Gerard. However it was somewhat clear from the smirk and body language Ray was displaying that his words were water washing over rock. 

“You.” He said, leaning in close again.   
“You, are threatening, me?” He mocked with a fake laugh and dramatic hand gestures, “How pathetic.” These words only solidified the ideas that were brewing in his mind – dark, horrible, dirty and repulsive ideas that were disgustingly good. “Let's find out…” Ray picked up the knife again, bringing its tip to Frank's shirt button, “What the big deal is with you.” Sliding the knife up, he cut through the weak fabric and Frank's shirt fell open, revealing his bare chest. Ray placed a finger just under Frank's chin and ran it down the length of his body slowly, stopping just bellow his belly button, tracing small circles with the tip of his finger. 

Of course it didn't hurt – physically that is – to be touched by Ray, but it almost burnt beneath the skin…searing in guilt and shame and emotional scars that would not heal over night, or perhaps ever.   
Frank's breathing had been laboured and deep up until this point, his best attempt to try and keep himself calm despite the terrible situation. However, as Ray's finger hit the rim of his jeans, and began playing around the smooth edges of the button, his breathing quickly became sharp and shallow, an ice cold shard of fear radiating down his spine. Frank closed his eyes and bit his tongue as Ray's hand unbuttoned his jeans and continued to grope down his smooth skin, stopping right above the underwear. 

“How does it feel, to have someone else touching you?” His tongue lipped his lips as he slowly felt his way around, breathing heavily and watching Frank's reaction with great enjoyment. Ray continued down above the underwear - for now - and gently massaged and felt his way around. 

Frank turned his head away as he felt himself harden and arouse without control - silently cursing his biological functions and the lack of control he had over them. He felt sick, he wanted to throw up at how disgusting he felt, how dirty and wrong it was to have someone who wasn't Gerard touching him like this. The ball of bile that was building within him was burning inside of him and he felt as if he may explode. Ray's hand squeezed at the growing bulge and Frank let out a cry, not of pain or pleasure but that of mercy.   
Frank looked up to Ray, seeing how much he was enjoying himself, and uttered whatever words he managed to find.   
“Please…not…don't so this…please.” 

Begging.   
Ray wasn't sure what could of made him hotter, but begging…now…god.   
“Beg. Beg for me and keep begging.”   
He began groping harder, moving his face closer to Frank's and running his tongue up his cheek, almost tasting the fear and anxiety in the sweat running down his face.   
“Beg.” 

This was too much, and Frank was at braking point. What were his options? 

“Pl-….please…”   
He cried out inside as Ray thrust his tongue into his mouth, and did his best to resist – but it was no use. 

The hours slipped by, and Ray didn't hold back or restrain himself. By the time the sun had finally set, the orange and purple glow had almost completely disappeared from the small glass window. Ray had not been gentle with Frank, after exploring him even further, he had stripped him down and bent him over the cold table, taking him roughly and with little care for how it was for Frank – the only consideration he had given was to use lube, but gave no thought for a condom. Of course, intimacy with an immortal being came with no risk of STI’s but Ray seemed to be one that may carry more of a risk for such things. The things that followed were intended to be rough, to hurt Frank, to be violent. Once Ray had finished his time with Frank, and had taken what he had wanted – only the first of many things he wanted, however.   
Instead of killing Frank, he left him in the corner of the room, covered with bruises and blood – he was slowly bleeding out and all around him there was blood, enough of it to paint a damn picture if he wanted to. The blood loss had started to get to him, there were several significant gashes and cuts covering Frank's body, he looked like a murder victim – just one that had yet to properly die, something he wished for more than anything now after the things that had been done to him. 

His head was spinning and vision had started to blur, noises and colours merging into one and as they did, Frank slumped down and fell to the floor, his head making a painful sound as it impacted the concrete.  

Ray lay in the next room, breathing slowly with a sense of accomplishment. His first attempt at 'de-perfect-itising' Frank had went well and could already feel the coming heartbreak of poor little Frank when his sweet Gerard won't even want to touch him after seeing what had been done to him. In his bliss and joy, Ray had not given as much thought to the situation as he perhaps should have. His one mistake was underestimating the love Gerard had for Frank, and that nothing - not a door, not a city, not a country or ocean - could separate them. As night fell, Ray lay there believing himself to have outwitted Gerard so skilfully that he was, for the time being, certain they were out of his line of sight for the time being. He closed his eyes and breathed in another heavy breath of victory, and pictured the things he would do to Frank in the morning. 

 

 

**_As night fell._ **

But... Gerard had tasted Frank's blood, and he knew his scent better than anyone else. He had tasted Frank, he had joined his body with Frank's and he...he would find Frank. The fact that Frank was slumped in a pool knee deep of his own blood was the mistake Ray had made - being careless and not cleaning up after himself - and as Gerard stepped out of his apartment and raised his nose to the air, he was struck by such a force of the scent that he knew not only was Frank within the city, but he was hurting...and there was a lot of blood. Letting the rage inside him surface - ready to hunt down the fucker who dared to touch what was his - Gerard set out into the city, moving in and out of alleyways and streets, following the myriad of smells and noises that were generated by so many individuals was difficult, but he would do it...he would find what was his.


	11. Chapter 11

Despite being attuned to Frank's unique scent and having over three hundred years of hunting experience behind him, locating the source of a single blood-scent among a city of thousands was much like the proverbial needle. But such odds were not likely to deter him from his ultimate mission, Frank was  _his_  and someone had decided to challenge that, a fact he would not allow to stand. Gerard would find Frank, and he would skin Ray whilst his heart still beats and leave him  _to die a slow and_ _agonizing_ _death..._    
He breathed deep, holding back the animal inside of him was less of a concern at the moment - it was by far the quickest way to find Frank - but he must remain in control, for it is he who Frank will want...not some monster.   
He gave the beast within him the freedom to postulate the many ways in which to make Ray suffer - somewhat of a middle ground between the Jekyll and Hyde within him - but at the same time remained in the 'drivers seat' so to speak. 

The city was loud, it was bright and busy and there were people dotting every street corner and alleyway. Each of them gave off their own stench, each unique and each tempting to partake in - as if each existed only as a tribute to quench the unquenchable thirst that burnt a hole in the back of Gerard's throat. But even amidst the many sights and sounds and smells, there was a hint...a trail...a slight tinge in the air that was without a doubt Frank, and though it was weak and faint...it was alive. Moving through the backstreets and on rooftops, Gerard began his long hunt, following the slight aroma in the air that was distinctly Frank's blood. Even separated by such distance, by buildings and roads and people and the life that was the city Gerard could pick out this single trail for...he had tasted it, he had let it flow through his veins and he had allowed it to overtake him only a night before.    
Catching a faint whiff, he turned sharply around a back alley corner and then once more around onto the main-street where he did his best to remain inconspicuous, but hasty in his efforts. It appeared wherever Frank was, it was on the other side of the city, through the busy nightlife and towards the outer suburbs where things were far quieter. Where better to hold hostage someone than the outer rim of city civilisation?   
Despite the desperate circumstances he now faced, Gerard knew to accomplish his task he would need to be fed and under control - whilst also at his strongest to follow the myriad of trails around the quiet town area.    
   
Ever since a few months ago, security at the blood banks within the city had become tighter - even going so far as to introduce armed guards - but it was hardly a concern of his at the time. Now was not a situation that called for covert movements and quiet planning; but instead a simple entry via force, forgoing the chances of anyone perhaps catching on to what exactly he was, and what he was doing there. Gerard had decided that the blood bank of 42nd street was the prime target, it sat between where he believed Frank to be - or at least, in the general direction - and where he was. There was no need to make a long detour and waste time.  

It took only twenty or so minutes of darting across roadways, scaling and flinging across rooftops and making quick alleyway turns to arrive within sight of his first goal.    
'Saint Mary's Blood Bank Depository'. Though it was comparatively smaller than the many other places he may of visited; it had the added benefit of slightly less security. However, upon landing in front of the back door and forcing it open with little hassle, it was made quite clear to Gerard that he was not alone...   
Walking slowly down the dark hallway, he kept his ears sharp and his wits about him. There was a strange smell here, it was not the blood...it wasn't some security guard or office worker...it was something he did not quite understand - a rarity for an immortal being such as himself. Rounding the corner into what appeared to be the main reception area, the scent of fresh blood - recently spilled, not bagged - suddenly hit him and his body shivered with excitement. Continuing to walk through the darkness, Gerard spotted dark stains on the carpet and some sort of splatter on the wall. With inhuman speed he made his way to the wall and examined the strange pattern. Once he came into closer inspection, it was clear to him that this was blood, human, fresh.    
 _But who would be robbing a blood bank other than me, there is no money here?_    
Taking another look around, Gerard spotted a hand stretching out from behind the reception desk, it was mangled and the nails appeared bruised, bloodied and cracked from where the unfortunate soul had attempted to claw their way to help...to no avail it seemed, as Gerard picked up what he now saw was not only a dead arm, but a dismembered one. It had been torn straight off, bone...muscle...all ripped violently apart with little effort.  _What manner of animal or beast_ _coul_ _-..._    
Before Gerard knew what had struck him in the side of the face, he was flying across the large empty room and slammed against the concrete wall with force, leaving large cracks and dents in the stone. He felt the bones within him that had shattered on the hard impact pull themselves back together - despite his resistance to death, it didn't mean he was immune to pain. He sighed deeply and looked up, only in time to see a fist land yet another punch against him and reinsert him into the wall. This time, however, he did not make the same mistake of waiting to respond. He looked up and raised his arm so fast it was but a blur, blocking a right hook from this mystery assailant who seemed to possess such inhuman strength. But as fast as the right hook had been blocked, a knee shot up under him and took him in the stomach, the nasty sound of a rib cracking echoing through the large room as he coughed and spat a mouthful of his own blood out onto the floor. Expecting another assault, he raised his arms above him with little coordination....but there was nothing, no violent attack, no overpowering impact. Managing to bring himself back into the now, Gerard looked up - vision blurring a little and head spinning from the beating he had sustained - and was shocked at what looked back at him.   
A girl - she looked maybe 19 or 20 - stood above him with her arms folded, her head cocked to the side and a slight smile growing in the corner of her mouth as she watched Gerard spit out more blood and get his balance. However, it took only moments for him to put the bits of the puzzle together, and then realized she was - like him - a vampire.    
   
The way she spoke, it was filled with self confidence. Obvious to even mortal ears that her ego rivaled her strength...but at the same time, she was without a doubt perfect to behold. "My dear Gerard..." She knelt down in front of him, making a face that portrayed mock sympathy. "I certainly am disappointed that you are so weak, I mean...I was told you would put up quite the fight."   
   
Honestly, at this point Gerard didn't have a fucking clue as to what exactly was going on. The anger in his voice rose quickly as he spoke, despite his rather vulnerable state. "Who the  ** _fuck_** are you!?" He didn't have time to deal with...with whatever the shit this was.    
   
"What, did you think you were the  ** _only_** one?...How vain." This unknown assailant spoke with such a dismissive tone...yet, a familiar one, she didn't speak like someone who had just encountered Gerard, she spoke as if she knew him - knew him well enough to attack him without provocation.    
But from where? 

"Who...are you?" Gerard's accelerated healing had kicked in amidst the conversation and he was back to an almost normal state. Though, he could feel bruises that would give him grief for a while yet despite healing over. This woman was obviously from Gerard's past - which presented a problem in on itself. Whilst Gerard was, on almost every level, a superior being...he had a grey area with his memory. He was unsure exactly when it had occurred, but about 150 years ago things became...foggy. Details, places, names, events...all lost in a haze. They were still  _there_ but it was like someone had built a mental wall and he was unable to scale it. It was frustrating, but he had found no way to cure this particular oddity.  

It seemed that this woman came from a time long past, and that unsettled him to an extent. Of course he knew he wasn't the only vampire, but over the many years the many covens had been exterminated by religious sects and secret groups, even the pureblood nobility had been attacked and for the most part, removed from the world. The only information he really had about his people was that of folklore, myths, legends and old writings he had come across - and they were few in number.  

"I will admit, you are so cute when you are all..confused. Of course...you don't know who I am do you?" She giggled, putting a hand to her mouth as if rubbing in the fact that she had the upper hand over him.  

Clenching his fists, Gerard tamed the anger growing in him - for the moment...he may yet rip her throat out, he wasn't sure yet. "As intriguing as this all is...I have somewhere to be, and stuff to do. So can you either piss off, or get to whatever point it is you want to make! You have obviously gone to an effort to find me, and I haven't picked up on your scent in the past which means you have quite the skill of masking yourself, so I imagine you either want to kill me or you want to talk to me. Either way, I have shit to do." He stood up, standing tall and towering over her small figure, but he didn't let such things get the better of him. She may look little and weak, but she was very strong and very dangerous...and very capable of killing Gerard. 

"Hm, yes. Your little...'pet'...is that what we call him?" She mused, rolling her eyes. "My dear Gerard, you can't honestly tell me you don't know the law, it isn't like we have an awful lot of them."   
   
"What...law...who is  _we_?" The amount of fucks Gerard actually gave to any of this were phenomenally low. Frank needed his help, and he was being held up by some priggish little brat who thought she was God's fucking gift to mankind.    
   
Her expression changed here, however.    
She lost the slyness and the witt, the imposing attitude and bitchy little way about her and wore a genuine look of confusion at Gerard's answer.    
"THE law, Gerard!" She flapped her hands around, an attempt to convey the dramatic nature of what she was trying to get across, no doubt. "Every vampire knows the law, the Council are aware of all vampire life and ensure each individual is made aware of the law, and follow it."    
   
It seemed, despite the fact that he was getting answers to his questions, things were just becoming more and more bat shit crazy. "Look...lady, I don't know what Council you are prattling on about, or any law. I live the way I want to, and do what I want to." He paused for a moment, the tone of his voice taking a more serious and far lower note. "And if you refer to Frank as a pet once more, I will rip your throat out with my bare teeth before you can get another one of those bitchy little giggles off, are we clear?" He leaned forward as he spoke, letting his eyes turn red and the rage fill his veins. Before letting her reply, he added..."And what in the fuck is your name? Because 'fucking brat' just dosen't role off the tongue." 

"I...am Emilia."   
It appeared the sincerity and seriousness of Gerard's threat was clear and real enough that it made Emilia back down and stutter a little, that blind confidence shaking for a few moments. "And the law I refer to is the code all vampires must follow. The reason I am here, my dear Gerard, is because you are breaking one of the rules." She took on yet another playful demeanor and waved her finger at him with a sly smile.    
   
"What rule?"   
   
Standing up straight with a rather authoritarian posture she began to cite some sort of invisible set of rules. "A vampire may feed on any human - so long as that human is not in a ranking social position where his/her absence may be noticed - and on completion of feeding, they must dispose of said individual permanently so the existence of the remaining covens may be kept secret and safe."   
She cocked her head once more, and watched his reaction to her words. "You do understand that you have not simply broken this rule once, but twice...yes?" 

This was all ridiculous to Gerard, he knew not of this Council or laws. He was his own boss, he made his own rules and cared not for the petty squabblings of the mortal world or, if they even existed, the vampric world. "I care not for your little cult or their rules, I will do whatever the fuck I want."    
   
Shaking her head, Emilia sighed. "Do not think you are the first, Gerard, to stray from the path the Council has laid out for our kind. It is thanks to them that the many inquests and crusades against our kind have all but dried up, and that we still yet hold a place on this earth." She stopped for a moment, thinking and then continuing before he could go on. "Now, I have been asked to remove you, like the proverbial thorn that you are in the Councils side. However it seems for some unknown reason you have no memory of your past, which was made clear when you did not know who I was. Thus I shall offer you a choice instead so you may redeem yourself in our eyes. Instead of killing you here like I planned to, I will allow you to go find your little pe-" she stopped mid sentence, swallowing hard as Gerard's pupils dilated with anger. "I mean, go find...Frank, and this other one...Ray was it?"   
   
"Yes, Ray has taken Frank - and though I am curious as to how you know so much, I couldn't care less at this point. Get on with it."   
   
"Very well, find these two mortals who you have so unwittingly revealed our existence to and remove them." She spoke with cold and hard words, knowing he would not take such orders with any sense of ease.  

Gerard watched her, looking for any sign of a ruse or joke - she knew very well what Frank was to him, yet she still asked him to kill him...perhaps she did have a death wish. "I have every intention of skinning Ray alive and removing him from existence...but Frank is mine, and so long as I live he will not come to any harm."    
   
There was silence between them for a few moments as Emilia considered his words. She sighed, things were far more complicated than she had planned for them to be. "You are older than I, Gerard, and thus you are stronger - despite the fact that I handed your ass to you just now - which means a head on brawl with you would most likely end with my demise. You will be allowed to continue with your little...quest...and remove Ray from the equation. I shall return to the Council and discuss with them the matter of your...partnership...with this mortal you seem to care so much for." She relaxed, seeing his temper recede. "However I will warn you, they may not accept Frank's existence and knowledge of us, and if they do not they will send someone far more powerful than either of us to deal with not only him - but you. I will make a case to them that you are...unaware of your heritage and past, perhaps discover why in the process and  _maybe_ that will gain you some favor among the elders, but I make no promises." She stepped back, running a hand through her long dark brown hair and stretching.   
   
Gerard did not like the sound of any of this, but at the moment it was not his greatest concern and it brought him more time to save Frank and deal with Ray - which for now was all he wanted. "Very well, I will not kill you...tonight. But I know you...I know not from when or where, but I know you. There is much you hide from me and I dislike these games. We  ** _will_** speak again and you  ** _will_** reveal to me details of such matters. But for now run off to your little Council and let me be.    
   
With but a nod and a smile, Emilia turned and walked out, reaching into one of the smashed refrigeration units and pulling out a blood bag, these events had worn her out and she was ever so hungry. After a few more moments she took off with the trademark vampiric speed and was gone from sight only moments later.    
   
Taking advantage of finally being free of any more obstacles, Gerard made his way over to the refrigerators and broke the lock on one of the units, taking three bags of O positive blood into his arms and perching himself on the counter. Without even bothering to undo the nozzle on the end, he simple plunged his fangs through the flimsy plastic and drank deeply and quickly, the blood like water on a burning fire, quenching the pain in his gut that had grown over the time since his last feeding. Within several minutes he had made his way through all three bags, and wiped his face on his sleeve.    
It was time to cease these games and finish what he was meant to be doing, finding Frank. Following the same pathway as he had done to break into the blood bank, Gerard made his way outside and let the many smells and sounds fill his senses once more - fishing for frank's unique scent amidst the plethora of choices.   
For several moments he stood there in the dark, cold shadow of the moon with his eyes shut. It was extremely hard to separate the different scents, but suddenly it hit him.   
It was subtle at first, layered under a banquet of other tastes and smells, but once he had latched on to it...he was sure it was Frank, and he wouldn't let it go of it. Looking east, he began to run with all the speed he could muster and headed towards the origins of the trail. He kept a close eye on the sky, knowing it was already 2am and that he had limited hours left to complete his task, but that did not deter him.    
Gerard would find Frank.   
Gerard would find Ray.   
And when Gerard found Ray, he would introduce him to a type of suffering his mortal mind was yet to even comprehend in it's wildest nightmares.   
Crossing a street and rounding a corner, Gerard whispered to himself as he darted in and out of the rat maze that was the city.   
 _"No one touches my things, no one touches Frank...he belongs to_ ** _me._** _"_  


	12. Chapter 12

Ray had not even realized he had fallen into a nap, his recent activities making high demand on his energy reserves. Glancing down at his watch he breathed a sigh of relief that he had only been out an hour or so. It was 3:30am, only a few more hours till sunrise and they would be safe for another day.   
" _Speaking of our_ _...guest..."_  He spoke quietly into the air, hopefully to himself unless it be a sign of yet a new level of madness.    
Pulling the bolt lock across the large metal door, he swung it open several inches – just enough to squeeze his head in – and check on his little plaything.    
As expected, sitting by the corner in a shining pool of his own blood Frank silently slumped against the cold hard wall.  

Seeing the new light enter the room, Frank's mind peeked out of it’s concussed state – with some reservations – and glanced over towards the entry way, and the figure that was standing in it. He was not surprised that it was Ray, but neither was he afraid.  _What more could he do to me at this point?_  Frank said to himself in a lowly attempt to find some sort of comfort. Grasping at the wet, bloody gashes on his arm and the deep dark purple bruises on his chest, he moaned to himself and curled further inward, trying to will himself away from all of this horror – of course already knowing such things to be fantasy, he was stuck here with no way of escaping or fighting back.    
   
Watching Frank squirm in obvious pain brought a level of satisfaction to Ray, and it manifested itself as a smirk in the corners of his mouth. He yawned, pulling the heavy door open fully and entering the dark, poorly lit room he broadened his smile and walked around the walls of the room with a confident step, not letting his eyes fall off of Frank for a moment, boring holes into him with his intense gaze.    
"Frankie..."    
He whispered, knowing his words would carry around the room and find their way to Frank's ear.    
"Come on, Frankie...time to get up!"   
   
The proposition of more pain or torture was not the thing that gave Frank an uncomfortable, gut wrenching feeling.  _'Frankie'_  

Only Gerard was allowed to call him that. When Gerard said it, it sounded right and wonderful and made him feel loved. But as Ray allowed the words to spill forth from his lips they were tainted, poisoned, corrupted. He had laced them with toxic feelings and emotions, throwing the word at him like a spear – knowing full well the impact it would have on him, of that Frank did not doubt. It seemed Ray had done his homework on Frank, finding out all the little ways to press his buttons and get beneath his detached and usually emotionally controlled exterior shell.    
"Don't fucking call me that, don't you fucking dare."   
There was no need to yell or scream, knowing the sincerity of his words were conveyed in the emotion they had been dipped in before being pronounced and brought to bear.    
   
"Why not? That  _is_ your pet name is it not?"   
   
"Only Gerard gets to call me that, no one else. Do whatever the fuck you want to me – touch me, abuse me, beat me, hurt me – but don't think you are even worthy of uttering that name to me.  

This did nothing but fuel the fire of passion and lust that burnt so hot within him, everything that bothered Frank...from his fists connecting to his face and the simple nature of a word, it all filled Ray with ecstasy and pleasure – and not the generic brand stuff you could get off the shelf...no...this was a special mix, his own personal kind that was top of the line. 

" _Gerard_. My God you never shut up about him do you?" Ray waved his hands around, rolling his eyes as he slid down the wall and sat on the cold floor a few meters from where Frank was, eyes still watching him closely.  

"Fuck you. Just because you were not good enough for him...because..." Frank took a deep breath. Insulting the one that was torturing you was probably not on the list of things you should  _probably_  do....but then, Frank was never one for lists and rules.    
"Because you couldn't give him what he wanted!" He spat at Ray, though moved further into the corner of the wall, not looking forward to the abuse he may have to take for such courageous words.   
   
Ray's face went red as the anger built up within him,  _not good enough?!_    
This little brat thought himself enough for someone like Gerard...ridiculous. Ray jumped to his feet and moved forward with a rush of anger and backhanded Frank across the face, there was a painful echo through the still room as skin met skin, and Frank cried out. But a singular blow was hardly the justified punishment for such bold and out of place words...not when Ray was the one with all the power. He grabbed the front of Frank's soiled and ripped shirt, pulling him up close and then he thrusted his free hand into his gut with great force, knocking the wind right out of Frank. Ray dropped him and let him hit the ground with a loud smack, and laughed as he watched the tears fall down Frank's cheek. "Look at how pathetic you are!" Ray walked over again but this time kicked him in the side, smiling as Frank toppled over with a painful moan.    
"I mean, what could  _you_ possibly offer someone...something...like him?"    
Walking over to where Frank had rolled to try and avoid any more attacks, Ray picked him up again with both hands, bringing him face to face. "A blonde haired little prick like you...he won't want to touch you ever again..." Forcing his tongue into Frank's mouth, Ray kissed him – despite Frank's best attempts to struggle against it – and bit his lip painfully hard, drawing blood. Breaking the kiss with a smirk, he looked Frank in the eye. "Not only have I done as I please to your body, but now I have even taken some of your blood...oh how that would pain Gerard to know!" The madness seeping up from within, Ray threw him to the hard concrete ground and continued to kiss and bite and abuse Frank, seemingly lost in what he saw as one big game.    
   
Resisting was of little use to Frank, he wasn't strong, Ray was taller, and he had lost far too much blood to see straight. All he could do was law there and take it, repeating the same words over and over in his mind to hold that sliver of sanity that still remained from tipping of the edge.    
_Gerard will come and get me._    
_Gerard will come and get me._    
_Gerard will come...won't he?_    
The possibility of doubting the truth behind that simple sentence was more shocking or painful than the way Ray had ripped off his remaining clothes and how he now threw him onto his stomach, the uneven ground grazing his skin and clogging his many cuts and gashes with dirt and dust. Frank closed his eyes and bit his lip gently, trying to keep his crying as quiet as possible as he felt Ray roughly thrust inside of him with little care for Frank's well being. He cried out in pain and tried to move but was pinned down by Ray's body weight. He felt disgusting, he felt lost and alone. Each moan of pleasure Ray let out was like a dagger to Frank's heart and he cursed himself for not being able to fight back.  

As Ray's moan grew louder, his movements became more violent and he pushed Frank's face down against the concrete, looking down and savoring the view he had.  

It was then the sound of metal door hinges giving in and breaking – a loud and violent scream as they were ripped from the wall with one single swipe – pierced the dark and quiet room, save for the moans of pleasure or the cries of pain coming from one side. The large door that had been bolt locked all night was suddenly thrown down and lay in a strewn heap on the ground as if it were but a piece of paper, screwed up and disposed of. There was a cloud of white concrete dust swirling in the air from where the door had been aggressively removed from it's frame, but after a few moments the dust settled and there in the doorway, stood Gerard – his face hard, cold, angry and eyes focused dead center on Ray.   
   
Suddenly realizing what was about to become of him, Ray looked down at the position he had forced Frank into and jumped backwards, fear showing plainly on his face. "Ger-...Gerard..." In his arrogance, Ray had believed himself to have outwitted Gerard. Thinking him too wounded by the bullet, the lack of blood in his system and the short time he had until sunrise, he was so sure of himself and his safety he had not even given consideration to the possibility that his plans may not come to fruition – such was the downfall of madness and insanity.   
   
"Gerard..." Frank murmered, falling back against the wall looking spent and in pain. He was only barely conscious and his vision was still slowly blurring over, perhaps he was just imagining this turn of events = simply seeing what he wanted to see?   
   
Standing silent amidst the rubble of the crushed door and damaged wall, Gerard simply looked Ray in the eye. He did not look at Frank, and for several more moments he simply stood there...   
   
_He can't bring himself to terms with the state of his little pet, he can't even look at him...that is it, I knew it would work._  But Ray's inner monologue was interrupted and he was forced back into reality when a tight hand suddenly gripped around his neck, only a squeeze away from snapping it like a toothpick. "Gerard...please..." Is all he managed, coughing and gasping for breath.    
   
Smacking Ray up against the wall – still holding him via the neck – Gerard moved up close and met him face to face with a snarl. "You really thought you could take something that belong to  _me_ and get away with it?" He pulled back, and then smacked Ray violently into the wall again. He simply looked into his eyes, and then glanced down to see Frank over in the corner. "I will deal with you in a moment."   
He spoke calmly and lowered Ray down onto the ground, loosening his grip. Ray took a deep breath, but before he could catch it Gerard knelt down and brought all his strength to bear with one punch right into Ray's left knee cap, shattering it beyond repair and dislocating the leg. "Don't go anywhere..." Gerard muttered as Ray slammed into the ground and let out a shrill cry of ear shattering pain. Walking over to Frank and silently cursing himself as he saw the state he was in, and the damage that had been done...if only he had gotten here sooner. He reached down and supported Frank's face in one hand, kneeling down in front of him and running his other hand through his messy hair.    
"I'm so sorry Frankie..." He whispered.    
   
"Running late..." Frank stuttered, "old man..." He managed a smile and let his head fall deeper into Gerard's safe grasp. Even though it wasn't physically possible, Gerard's hand felt warm and Frank let out a small sigh of relief. Reaching behind him, Gerard pulled out a small pocket knife and cut his wrist – only deep enough to allow some blood flow – and placed it against Frank's lips.    
   
"Drink" He spoke calmly, still holding Frank's head up. "It will make you feel better."    
   
With no energy left to argue or question, Frank simply did what he was told and took Gerard's wrist to his lips and sucked. It was an odd sensation, to drink someone else's blood – for Frank at least. Gerard's was cold, like it had been served on ice, and there was a tinge of metallic taste to it...but at the same time, it was sweet and almost soothing. As the first few drops entered his system he begun to feel better, the minor rashes and grazes healing over and his vision coming back to him, slowly. The major wounds would take time, but the bleeding had clotted and for the time being safe from infection.  "I'm not gonna grow fangs or any weird shit like that now am I?" Frank mused weakly, looking up with blood covered lips.    
   
Gerard just gave a small laugh, shaking his head. "No, it doesn't quite work like that, don't worry." He looked back to see Ray still laying on the ground cradling his shattered knee cap."Close your eyes and give it time to work, alright? I won't take long." Gerard leant forward and kissed Frank's forehead gently, avoiding the grazes and cuts so as to not cause any unnecessary harm. He then let him lean against the wall and close his eyes as the blood went to work, giving Frank a temporarily increased metabolism and advanced healing.   
Standing up, he turned and slowly walked over to the pile of mess that was Ray, and cocked his head to one side as he watched him moan and suffer, taking slight satisfaction in his cries of pain.    
"You know, I would of preferred not to kill you – or anyone, for that matter – but you have forced my hand. How deluded you must be to think you can invade my home and take that I hold most dear, and get away with it!" Gerard reached down and picked Ray up with one hand via his shirt collar – much like Ray had done to Frank not half an hour ago – and brought him up to eye level. "This will not be quick, nor will it be merciful." Gerard spoke slowly and calmly, but behind his words there was without a doubt a sea of emotion swirling chaotically. He turned with speed and hurled Ray across the length of the long room and he hit the other wall with a loud smack, ribs cracking and muscles straining loudly. Before he even had a second Gerard was once again on top of him pounding him with a flurry of punches, each finding its mark and each shattering bone or tearing through muscle. Ray let out loud cries and shrills as Gerard continued his assault for several more long minutes, but they did not even give Gerard cause to even blink. Picking him up and throwing him downwards with force, Ray hit the floor and coughed up a mouthful of blood, twitching with pain.    
"I should of killed you the night we met."   
Gerard suddenly pinned him to the floor with his overwhelming strength and opened his mouth – both fangs growing quickly until they were at full size – and tore into Ray's neck. There was a few screams for mercy and pleads for it to end, accompined by rabid squirming and attempts to get away – all in vain, of course – until, with a loud yell Gerard ripped Ray's throat clean out and spat it to the ground next to him, licking his lips clean as he let the body go limp and fall from his grip. Wiping his face clean with the back of his hand, Gerard rose and quickly made his way over next to Frank, picking him up easily with great care. Though his body was healing, Frank had passed out. Gerard made his way for the tattered remains of the entryway and begun the trek home with Frank firmly held against his chest.    
Seeing the glint of sunlight on the horizon, he picked up the pace and tapped into the fresh blood he had taken from Ray to give him the speed he needed to beat sunrise – the knot of anxiety that had been growing in his chest from the fear of possibly losing Frank disappearing completely, leaving him unburdened...save for his run in at the blood bank. But that was a matter for another day.  
  
Arriving just as the first rays of light began to envelop the sprawling city streets, Gerard entered the messy apartment and laid Frank on the bed to rest, sitting beside him quietly and watching him breath. Despite saving him, he still felt somewhat uncomfortable...there were things to come that he would have to deal with to protect Frank – as well as some hard decisions, without a doubt – but for Frank, he would do his best. He trailed a hand through his hair and leaned in, kissing his cheek, leaving the room and closing the doors so he may rest in peace.   
Whilst Frank slept, he had an apartment to clean up, and quite the job it was going to be.. _._ _that fucker made quite the damn mess_ , he thought to himself as he began sweeping up the glass.


	13. Chapter 13

Gerard had spent the entire night cleaning and there was still an obvious sign there had been a struggle, the glass shattered and the dark wood chipped whilst there was a tear on the side of the sofa that looked rather ghastly, but all in good time. Frank had slept like a log the entire night, his wounds healing Gerard could finally breath a sigh of relief and sit down for a few moments. It felt like he hadn't gotten any rest in a long time, though it had only been a few days.   
Peering through the slight crack in the bedroom door – wiping the small sweat that had accumulated on his brow through the long hours of his work through the night – he could see Frank on his side, chest rising and falling gently as he slept. A slight smile crept across his face as he beheld his handsome, sleeping boy – a sight he would never be tired of. Turning his head to the side and letting his eyes fall shut, he let out a long breath and enjoyed the first moments of peace he had found in some time.   
   
Though it was but a whisper, a dizzied murmur in the haze of sleep and disorientation, Frank found an unconscious word escape his mouth. "Gerard..." He breathed lightly, and almost impossibly quiet.   
   
But Gerard's superior hearing was all but able to pick up such a quiet plea, and no sooner had the words fallen from his lips than Gerard was sitting on the bedside looking over him, letting his hand run across Frank's soft skin. The cold touch was enough to make Frank stir slightly, and roll over to face him with a small smile as he rubbed his eyes softly.    
   
"Well hello there..." he sighed and cupped Gerard's face, pulling him down for a light kiss and a small smile.    
   
Responding with a kiss of his own he ran a hand through Frank's blonde hair and looked down into his sleepy eyes. "I heard you call, do you need anything?"    
   
"Oh, I am a little cold is all...would you mind hoping...hoping in?" He reached for the covers and pulled them back, an open invitation to get into bed.    
   
"Me?..." Of course, Gerard never had an issue with being In bed with Frank, but it was hardly his place to help warm him up. It was one of the few things he couldn't really do. "What...can I do for you?" It hurt him to say the words, but it was truthful.   
   
"Gerard." Frank begun, opening his eyes properly.    
   
He looked down at him, cocking his head to the side. "What, Frank?"   
   
"Shut the fuck up and get into this damn bed before I hurt you." A slight smile conjured in the corners of his mouth, and he wrapped both hands around the back of Gerard's neck, pulling him down on top of him with a giggle as he buried his face deep into the side of Gerard's neck and gently bit and kissed the soft skin.  

"My God you're a bitch sometimes!" Gerard said, biting back and giving a passionate kiss. "But fine, I guess." He winked and reached over to the chair and pulled on a large jumper, covering up his bare, cold skin. Armed with track pants and a long sleeved jumper Gerard dipped down into the covers and wrapped his arms tightly around Frank. Closing his eyes, he let his mind let go of all the trouble it had had to face of late, simply enjoying the closeness he once again felt. 

It wasn't till 6:30pm the next day the pair of them finally stirred. Of course, that was early for Gerard but Frank had been so worn out, he needed the extra time to recuperate. Strangely enough, it seemed the longer Frank spent around Gerard, the quicker he was matching his sleep cycles with him. He was going to bed at 6 or 7am with Gerard and not getting up till 7pm at night. But, that is just the way it had to be – Frank never liked the day time anyway, far too many people – and it wasn't like Frank had anyone looking for him or wondering where he was, other than Gerard.  

Frank stretched and groaned quietly, slipping out of Gerard's obsessive and dominating grip and pulling on some clothes. The nights had become rather cold – for a flesh and blood mortal at least – and at first that caused a small issue for Frank. Gerard was wonderful and soft to cuddle and lay with, but when it was already only 5 or 6 degrees outside it was like cuddling an ice block. That was before Gerard had come to rescue him, however. He wasn't really sure why, but ever since then he seemed to find warmth in Gerard's cold exterior, whenever he touched him. 

Walking into the bathroom, Frank turned the shower on and yawned, rubbing the sleep from his eyes and leaning on the sink in front of the mirror. He pulled his shirt off and examined the bruises and gashes that dotted his front and back, taking a moment to marvel at how quickly they had all healed. As the mirror began to fog up he threw off the rest of his clothes and took a deep breath, moving towards the large open shower. But before he could step under the stream of hot water, Gerard appeared out of no where and wrapped his arms around Frank's naked body, planting gentle kisses down his arms and back.    
"God you can be annoying" he giggled, turning around to face Gerard, "I can't have five minutes to myself, can I?"   
   
"Nope, sorry!" 

Biting his lip, Frank pushed Gerard back hard against the wall and pinned him up to it – though he wasn't really in control when it came to Gerard, it was fun to pretend he could overpower him. Frank pulled the jumper over his head and tossed it aside, sliding his hands up Gerard's smooth and perfect chest. "This will all need to go" he teased, gesturing to the track pants and socks. 

Without needing anymore direction as to what he needed to do, Gerard quickly stripped down and wrapped both arms around Frank's back, pulling him in for a kiss. The room had steamed over and after serval more moments of kissing Frank grabbed Gerard's hand and lead him under the water, placing his head against Gerard's chest and closing his eyes as he felt the warm water trail down his back. Looking down at the messy haired blonde boy that had found a way to completely take over his cold, dead heart Gerard felt a swell of warmth in his stomach. “I love you, Frankie” he mumbled. 

“I'm way to good for you" Frank teased back, not opening his eyes and keeping arms wrapped around Gerard.   
   
With a sly smile, Gerard grabbed Frank on the ass and pinched him, causing him to jump. "I didn't quite catch that?"   
   
"I said I love you to, you big moron."   
   
Gerard nodded, "that is what I thought." Letting his hands trail down Frank's sides, Gerard savoured the wonderful feeling of having what belonged to him back in its proper place – his place. He was pulled out of his thoughts as Frank pushed him against the wall again, this time far more forcefully – certain he wouldn't break Gerard – and before he could look down to see what was going on he felt Frank's hands come up and yank his face down into a hard kiss. Unable to find words that could properly convey what he wanted to exhibit, Gerard forgoed the crude means of communication and allowed his tongue and wandering hands to relay the many messages. "I have missed you so much" he managed to get in between a momentary parting off their lips.    
   
Moaning with agreement, Frank opened his eyes. "Can't even go a few days without me?" he enquired, tangling a hand in his vampire lovers hair.    
   
"A few days?" Gerard shook his head and laughed, "I can barely go a few hours without seeing you let alone a few bloody days." Sighing and letting his hands fall to Frank's waist, gripping firmly Gerard went on. "The truth is Frankie, every moment you spend around here makes it all the more harder to part with you."   
   
Taking a few moments to enjoy the honesty, Frank planted a small kiss on Gerard's lips. "Then I will simply never part with you."   
   
Though Gerard smiled at this, he couldn't help but feel somewhat sad at it as well. Of course, Frank could spend the rest of his life with Gerard, but Gerard could not spend the rest of his life with Frank. A sad but ultimately unavoidable truth.   
   
As if it were put on display, high up on a pedestal for the world to see, Frank read this inner change of emotion with ease and let his head fall to one side as he watched Gerard. Reading Gerard was not hard, though it took a great deal of training and a very strong bond to achieve. "What's wrong?"   
   
Letting his head fall back against the wall, Gerard kept his eyes locked with Franks and ran a hand over his cheek. "I simply fear I will not have nearly enough time with you." It pained him to admit such a thing, but he knew it to be true and there was little point in neglecting the fact of it.    
   
Frank watched him speak, taking in the many veiled emotions that sat behind each word. "You mean...because I will age?"   
   
"And die." The words were sharper and harder than he had intended. Of course, it was by no fault of his own that Frank suffered from the plight that was mortality - and Gerard wasn't annoyed at him, more so at the fact itself - and winced as he realised how harsh and cold that must of sounded. "I didn't mean..."   
   
Frank brought his finger up and placed it against Gerard's lips, "I know." In actual fact this was not the first time the matter had crossed his mind...okay, in actual fact it was on his mind quite regularly the past several weeks as the pair of them had grown even closer with each passing day. "I have given it some thought as well" he continued, taking Gerard's hands, "and it frustrates me as well."   
   
Nodding his understanding, Gerard lent forward and kissed Frank again. "We don't need to worry about it now, it is silly so don't worry yourself about it." Though his words were laced with comfort and reassurance, he knew it would not ease his own burdens on the matter, but hoped it would relieve Frank of unneeded stress, for the time being at least. 

    
However though his words were genuine Frank was not so easily swayed from the topic. "I want to spend forever with you, Gerard." He groaned quietly in frustration at the sheer impossibility of his request. "And even then, that may not be enough."   
   
Giving a sympathetic smile, Gerard cupped his face and smiled. "If I can live forever, I am sure there is a way for you to as well - I have a few things I need to see to that may provide some answers, but I am yet to be sure." The idea of possibly turning Frank into what he was both excited and disturbed Gerard. On one hand, they would be able to spend unlimited time with one another, but on the other Frank would have to cope with the never-ending cravings and pain that accompanied such a lifestyle, and that was a life he dared not wish on anyone. 

Without another word, Frank stood up and reached for the tap on the wall, turning the water off slowly, doing his best to not slip over, though he felt such a thing did not quite worry about when Gerard was around. 

Gerard suddenly felt himself excite at the wonderful upward view he had of Frank's perfect body, and with a bite of the lip he grasped Frank's bare waist with both hands and pulled him forward, looking up with a pleased expression on his face. 

“What do you think yo-…” He couldn't finish the sentence as he suddenly went weak at the knees, sensation flooding his system and overcoming him completely.  Frank leant against the wall to stop himself tumbling forward and closed his eyes as he groaned, plunging a hand into Gerard's hair.    
   
Gerard wrapped his lips around Frank and looked up smirking, taking enjoyment out of the small grunts and groans Frank couldn't control.  He ran his tongue up the shaft, taking tighter grip of his leg and pulling him in closer.  Gerard could feel Frank tense up, he stopped and slid up his body, picking him up with a giggle.    
   
"Where the hell are you going?!"   
   
Gerard didn't say anything, grabbing a towel as he walked out and into the hallway with Frank in tow, wrapping it around himself with his free hand. Even if he didn't have ridiculous Mary Sue like strength, Frank was by no means difficult to lift.    
The pair of them made their way to the bedroom and Gerard let him go over the bed, Frank fell onto the messy sheets with a flop, still naked with water glistening off of his pale, perfect skin. Gerard simply stood there drying his hair with the towel, looking down at the sight before him with a grin.   
   
"Fucking pervert." Frank mumbled, poking his tongue out and rolling onto his stomach, intentionally giving Gerard the most perfect and scenic view of his ass. He didn't need eyes in the back of his head to feel the heavy gaze upon him.    
   
"Guilty as charged!" Gerard laughed, kneeling on the bed and leaning over Frank, he kissed his shoulder and down his back, running a hand down his thigh and over his ass with a light slap.   
   
Frank gave an exaggerated expression of disgust as he rolled over to look up into Gerard's eyes. "Please tell me you did not just _spank_ me?!"    
   
"And what are you going to do about it if I did, hm?"   
   
Taking a few moments to digest the pool of emotion that sat behind Gerard's eyes, Frank cocked a small smile and looked down his immortal lovers naked body pressed up against his own. "I won't feed you."   
   
"Feed me?" Gerard looked at him with a slightly confused look, "I didn't realise I was your pet."   
   
Frank kissed his cheek and lightly thrusted against him, "That is exactly what you are" Frank teased, body shivering slightly as Gerard's cold skin met his. "And I know just what you want."   
Biting his lip, he turned his head to the side, running his finger over the vein slowly. "This is what you want, isn't it?" He couldn't help but smile, it was obvious by the hungry expression that had overtaken Gerard's face that it was an inciting offer. "Fresh blood, straight from the source...none of that bagged crap. You'd do anything for it...you would kill for it, wouldn't you?"   
   
Something deep within him churned and Gerard could feel the hunger rise, if Frank only knew how much self control it took to stop me from tearing into him. "You...you can't joke about that stuff...that's just cruel..." Gerard brought his hand up and felt the soft skin of Frank's neck, letting his finger tips trail downward slowly.    
   
"Who says I _am_ joking?" 

It was like someone was hanging a slap of meat in front of a lion, daring it to pounce...it was a dangerous game, and in reality Frank knew he was opening a wound underwater for a shark to seek out – the risks were clear, but that made it all the more fun and enjoyable...to bring such a mighty monster as Gerard to a quivering mess with no control, quite the feat.    
Gerard held a tight leash on his ever-growing urges. He lowered his head into Frank's neck and gently licked at it, kissed it, and teased it with his teeth. The smell was overpowering.   
"And what, prey tell, would stop me from..." Gerard moved his lips up against Frank's ear and spoke low but sharply, his hands taking Frank by the wrists and gripping them tightly – rendering him defenceless and immobile, with Gerard's body weight on him, "...from _taking_ what I wanted from you?"   
   
Frank was filled with a rush to have Gerard hold him down, the threats and domination seemed to do something unique for him that he had never really experienced before. He was shivering now and not because of Gerard's cold blood, but there was a sliver of fear within him that knew what this...thing...was capable of, it could kill him before he could take another breath. But at the same time, that shiver also excited him and turned him on. "You would never take it from me without my permission...even if you were starving and dying." Frank mimicked Gerard, moving his mouth up close to his ear and whispering the taunt. "You are at my mercy, don't forget that....Gerard." It was like taking a drink of ice cold water on a hot day, the pure unbridled satisfaction of being in control whilst also being completely helpless.    
   
A part of Gerard cursed silently, and he felt a level of impatience fester within him, knowing Frank's words to be true. "You are awfully sure of yourself...willing to bet your life on that?" Once more he made a trail down Frank's neck with his tongue and sucked at the delicate skin, purposefully pinching with his fangs as he went.   
   
"Oh, my dear Gerard...I would."    
   
_Smug little shit,_ Gerard thought to himself as he failed to hold back a smile forming in the corners of his mouth. "I'll do anything."   
   
"I know you will." Frank lay there for a moment, letting his words sink in and allowing Gerard to brew in his own pit of lust and hunger. "I want you...to beg."   
   
This made Gerard rear his head slightly, laughing at the statement as if he expected Frank to be joking.   
He wasn't.   
"Excuse me?"   
   
"You heard me." Frank didn't smile, or move, or blink. He just lay there staring up at Gerard with a serious and unwavering expression.   
"Beg."    
   
_Oh yea, this little fucker has let the power go to his head. Smug little asshole, who does he think he is_. Gerard mused silently to himself, contemplating the demand. "You want me...an immortal being of _unfathomable_ power who has the blood of thousands of innocents on his hands, who has fed off of humans as he sees fit for over three centuries...to beg?"    
   
"Yes." Frank's words were short and assertive.    
   
It was clear to Gerard that Frank enjoyed being held down and without control, helpless and weak...and for a few moments he considered holding him down whilst he took what he wanted, thinking it would cater to Frank's new found kink. But he soon realised he couldn't do such a thing, he had sworn to never take from Frank without express permission...even under the guise of fun and games.    
That left him with only one option...to beg.    
"Please...Frank, I want it."   
   
"I'm not convinced you really do."   
   
"I do, I want it more than anything." As Gerard spoke, he became more emotive and passionate, his prize within reach yet still he was unable to claim it.    
   
"I still don't see it, sorry."   
   
A sudden burst of anger and lust filled Gerard, the inner beast fed up with the toying and teasing. "You're going to give me what I fucking want..." The grip around Frank's wrists tightened and he felt Gerard move onto his knees, pushing the rest of his body down. He slid Frank's hands up above his head, and held onto them with a single closed fist, still exerting the same level of strength – it would definitely leave a mark. With his free hand, Gerard took hold of Frank's face and pushed it to the side, revealing his neck. "I want it, and you are going to _fucking_ give it to me..." He felt the shiver run down Frank's spine, and smiled.    
   
Frank didn't say anything, he suddenly stopped resisting the hold Gerard had on his face and let his head roll to the side, exposing he veins plainly. Though Gerard understood the gesture, he locked eyes with Frank and asked a silent question for permission. Meeting his gaze, Frank responded with a small nod, closing his eyes.    
Gerard released his grip on Frank's wrists, moving his hands down, one behind his head and another across the bed sheets to meet up with Frank's hand, taking hold of it gently this time, weaving their fingers together.    
Gerard moved his mouth in so his lips were kissing the soft skin of Frank's neck and he licked at it, his fangs growing until they were finally fully extended. Though he was in a trance, he was never without control, and Gerard knew Frank endured pain for him, as feeding was somewhat unpleasant. He turned his head and kissed Frank's cheek softly, “Are you sure you're okay with this?” He whispered gently, making circles in Frank's palm with his index finger.  

“I'm sure, it's okay.” Frank gave a weak smile, he was sure but it wasn't without discomfort, but still…it was Gerard, he was in safe hands. 

Without another word, Gerard punctured the thin layer of flesh and sunk his teeth down into the vein, sucking slowly at the wound. He had sampled many different selections of blood, from many different people of varying ages, nationalities and genders…but Frank's was by far the sweetest and warmest he had ever had the privilege of dining on. Swallowing a mouthful, he heard Frank groan and slowed down to minimised the pain. As he continued to drink, Gerard felt Frank move his free hand down his back and pull the rest of his body into a slow thrust, grinding himself against Gerard. Not only was Frank enduring the process, but he was trying – and succeeding – to make it even more enjoyable. In response, Gerard reached down between them and massages Frank, slowing the pace of his sucking as to not take too much from his lover.  

The mixed moans of pleasure and pain filled Gerard with emotion, fuelling his lust even further.  

Though it hurt, the pain was a distant memory for Frank. At first it was hard to deal with but it faded to a dull throbbing and there was plenty to keep him occupied and his mind busy whilst it happened. As Gerard continued to take in the warm substance, Frank reached over to the bedside table and picked up a small tube, squeezing some of the clear liquid onto his fingers. Careful not to move to much or do anything that would disturb Gerard's feeding, Frank moved his hand down and took hold of Gerard's erection, massaging it and spreading the lubricant over it.  

Gerard felt the cold gel and shivered a little, but kept going…far to interested in the sweet nectar he was extracting from Frank's neck.  

“I need you.” Frank whispered and did his best to hide any discomfort from his shaky voice. “I want you, now.”  

Gerard slower and ran his tongue over the two puncture marks, ensuring not a single drop was wasted. He lifted his blood stained mouth from Frank's neck and simply nodded, kissing him hard. He lived the fact that Frank was not put off by the taste of blood, he always though he looked hot when his mouth was covered in blood from their kissing. Spreading Frank's legs to the side, while still cradling his neck in one hand, Gerard slowly pushed inside of him and they both moaned loudly, Gerard fell forward and rested his head against Frank's. 

“Don't stop feeding…” Frank manger in between the moans is pleasure.  

Following the instructions he had been given, Gerard moved back into Frank's neck and pushed his fangs back into the pale skin, drinking in the rich life blood while he slowly thruster and pushed deeper into Frank, increasing his speed, Gerard's movements became rougher and harder – knowing he was on the right path as Frank yelled his name. “Oh god Frankie…” Gerard managed, pulling away from his neck, “I love you so much.”  

Letting out a little laugh before once again moaning uncontrollably, Frank managed to put together three words just as the pair of them had put their bodies together.  

“I love you…” He groaned, pulling Gerard in further with a hand on his back. 


	14. Chapter 14

_*Four weeks after chapter 13_  

 

The morning had come with a chill, proving its allegiance with the colder season that was slowly coming on with more ferocity as each day passed by. Frank hadn't seen Gerard since Tuesday and it was now Friday... _poor_ _bastard_ _is probably having a melt down,_ he mused to himself. But, this was partly Gerard's fault. Ever since first laying eyes on Frank's artwork he had been insisting that Frank open up more and perhaps even find work using his unique talents. At first, Frank had cringed at the very notion...but it had grown on him as Gerard's pestering begun to make more logical sense.    
The week before last, he had made some enquiries in the city at one of the publishing firms that frequented superhero related comics. He put together a portfolio and actually dressed decently – opposed to the sort of...depressed...gothic look he usually rocked. If he was to be honest with himself, he had only gone at first to shut Gerard up and to get himself declined, he honestly didn't think anything would come from it. It turns out, however, that they liked his work and had asked him to come on as a part time worker so he could 'test the waters' so to speak. Since then he had submitted drafts for two different comics he had been asked to draft, and one had been expected. With that, he had the difficult task of refining his drawings and giving them the finishing touches – it sounded easy, but it actually took a great deal of time.   
It was Gerard, in actual fact, who had suggested some downtime between them...just while Frank settled into the new work. He hadn't been completely thrilled with the idea of almost a week of separation...but figured it would make the time they spent together all the better, so he had agreed.  

The afternoon was pushing on now, the sun starting to dip behind the heavy layer of dark grey clouds on the horizon. Putting the pencil down on the desk, Frank gave a gentle blow over the last frame and swept the shavings into the bin under the desk. With great care, he slid it into the black plastic folder that housed all the art for this particular job, and he sighed with relief.    
"Finished with a day to spare, these deadlines aren't so bad!"    
Jumping up from his seat, Frank shuffled over to the kitchen and poured himself another cup of coffee – a beverage that had become a staple these past few days – and found his way over to the couch, falling down and curling up. He stroked the side of his neck gently, feeling the ghostly marks left by Gerard's fangs last time he had fed. They didn't hurt...at least, not enough to cause discomfort, but they were a reminder of how close a bond the two actually shared, and that was always a wonderful feeling.    
"Oh Gerard, where are you when I need a hug..." Frank pleaded to the empty room, letting his eyes fall shut as the exhaustion of the non stop work finally kicked in. Nowadays, Frank rarely slept at night as he had to match his sleep cycle with Gerard's, but after his hard efforts he deserved a little normal downtime.    
Closing his eyes, he allowed himself to fall backwards into a spiral of images and vivid scenes that so often unfolded in his overactive imagination.    
   
_*Ding*_ The chime of Frank's phone rang out through the dead silent room, echoing loudly.    
   
Frank sighed, opening his eyes despite the overwhelming urge to ignore it, "That lasted a whole of...32 seconds..." He mumbled, placing the mug down on the wooden table and reaching over for the mobile. He had instinctively expected it to be Gerard, no doubt finally crumbling under the torture that was spending time alone and drinking from horrible blood bags. Frank giggled a little, unlocking the screen and reading the message.    
   
**Mum:** _Hey Frank, it has been a long time since we last spoke. I am just sending you a message to let you know grandma has gone Into hospital...it may be a good idea to go see her, just in case. She is in St. Pauls, you remember where it is yea?_    
_Take care of yourself and I hope we can speak sometime._    
_Love mom xoxo_    
   
"Well..."   
He put the phone down beside him on the cushion, breathing deeply and bringing his legs up. That certainly wasn't who he had expected to hear from, not after almost five years. Frank didn't hate his mother, he HATED his father for obvious reasons, but his mother was sort of just caught in the crossfire. He had always harbored a little anger that she never made an effort when he was a child to step in during one of his father's breakdowns...instead letting it happen and turning a blind eye because it was too much for her.    
Still, she was just filling him in on the goings on.    
When he had escaped home and fled, he had cut off almost all family ties, both immediate and extended. That is, except for his grandmother. She had always been a kind soul that had done her best to shelter him, to the best of her ability anyway. If she was ill, he would not abandon her, but visiting would take him dangerously close to his hometown and all the people he had wanted to move away from.    
"No, I can't worry about that stuff now..." He rubbed his eyes in an attempt to wipe away the self centered worries he had, focusing more on how exactly he would get down there. It was lucky he had an immortal lover to drive him – seeing as he had never learned to drive, living in the middle of the city – and with his recent contract fulfilled, all he had to do was drop the folio in a mailbox on his way past and there was no excuse for him to not see Gerard.    
But, that was a task and problem to be tackled tomorrow. It was only 6:30 in the afternoon, but his strange sleep patterns and hard work had tired him out enough to warrant a normal night's rest.    
Placing the near empty mug down, he rubbed his eyes and yawned, walking into the bedroom and falling flat into the bed.   
It only took him a few moments to be whisked up and thrown into the land of sleep, his body thanking him for the much needed rest. Though the traumatic events of his kidnapping where long over several weeks ago, and the wounds healed thanks to Gerard's super blood – or whatever the fuck kind of weird magic it was – the damage had been extensive, the muscle and skin still sensitive and tender. It would take a few months to properly heal, and until then he vowed to not run any marathons or do any   
extensive exercise...   
"As fucking if..." He mumbled to himself, before completely falling asleep.  

 ----

“What do you mean you told him to come down!?” The sharp pain of a back hand radiated across her face and Linda stumbled backwards a little, tears streaming down her cheek. “The day that little shit ran out on us was the day he lost the right to come back here!” Anthony had redirected his anger and abuse towards his wife, Linda - Frank's mother – shortly after Frank had left home.  

“He needs to see my mother, it could be his last chance!” She yelled, standing up properly. “I don't care what you say, he deserves to see her before she dies, at least once!” With that, she turned and walked back into the kitchen, face red from crying.  

That was hardly the end of it, however, for Frank's father. He had told Frank if he ever showed his face around these parts again, he would regret it. He ran off and left them, after they had provided for him all those years. “Ungrateful little shit…” He mumbled, picked up the whiskey glass next to the couch and sat back down. Taking a mouthful, Anthony turned his attention back to the television, however his mind was still processing the fact that he may see Frank again… 

 ----

The smell of pancakes, eggs on toast, warm coffee and freshly squeezed juice shook Frank into consciousness. Though the smells were indeed heavenly to behold, he wasn't sure why the fuck they were coming from his kitchen. Had some bastard broken in under the cover of night and after robbing the place, felt so guilty he had to cook Frank a morning feast to absolve himself? Sluggishly Frank pulled on a pair of boxer shorts and stumbled – half of him still asleep – into the kitchen. However, it was not a balaclava their turned cook, instead he was met with naked ass popping out from behind the corner. “I would know that ass anywhere” he proclaimed with a smug grin, leaning on the wall and feeling the chill from the cold cement run down his bare spine. 

Almost immediately the cute as fuck ass disappeared behind the corner, and Gerard poked his head out, wearing a dorky smile. “And I would know that wonderful body anywhere!” He said winking. “Sometimes I think you look more like an immortal monster of the night then I do, all skinny and pale and gothic.” Walking out from the kitchen, Gerard hurried over to Frank and wrapped his arms around him, lifting him up off the ground with ease and spinning on the spot. “I have been waiting for fucking ever to see you Jesus Christ Frank!” Gerard planted a kiss on his lovers cheek and pushed him against the wall with a thud.  

Giggling, Frank looked down at the wonderful sight before him; a completely naked Gerard spouting all the wonderfully defined muscle and hairless body Frank so adored. “You do know it hasn't even been a full week yet, right?”  

“You do know I almost came over here the first night you were away? It has been a living fucking hell!” The glee and excitement in his voice were unmistakable and each word seemed to radiate a banquet of adoration and passion. 

“atop the mountain of praise he had been hoisted, Frank poked his tongue out at Gerard. “You know…” He touched his chin mockingly, “for a blood sucking fiend you're a huge pussy.”  

All the excuse Gerard needed to begin the tickling.  

After the pair of them had finished burning delinquents, they perched themselves down in front of the morning feast and marvelled at Gerard's cooking skills, it was all quite impressive to look at – hopefully it tasted half as decent. That it did, Frank was quite shocked at this. He had asked Gerard, “Where the hell did you learn to cook!?” 

“I got bored about 200 years ago…”  

Frank giggled, “Evidently.” He took another mouthful of pancakes and washed it down with orange juice, “By the way...if you ever break into my apartment again without getting into bed with me, I'll never let you drink my blood again.” 

The very prospect of being denied the finest of delicacies that was Frank's blood was more than enough to make Gerard submit, he looked down at his plate and tried to hide a grin. “Yes boss.” 

Frank leaned over and patted him on the head, planting a small peck on his cheek. “Good boy.”   

The pair continued to exchange looks and jokes, laughing and punching one another until finally the food was more or less gone and both were full. Having washed up the pair had planted themselves comfortably on the couch to watch a movie, and Frank figured now was as good a time than any to breach the subject of his visit home. He rolled over in Gerard's lap and looked up at him, taking a deep breath. “So we need to talk about something…?” 

“You know, whenever you start a conversation like that it usually ends up with a broken heart.” 

With a bake of his head Frank continued, “Don't worry…you fucking dork, we will never have that conversation. What I need to talk to you about is that…I need to visit my home town…where my folks live…”  

“Why in gods name would you be going back there?” Gerard looked both puzzled and worried. He had heard the horror stories of Frank's childhood, and if he were honest he had fantasised about hunting Frank's father down and killing him – but he never let such things past his fantasy. 

“It's my grandmother, mum sent me a message yesterday telling me she's in the hospital and…she may not have long left.”  

“So?” 

Perhaps Gerard had not meant to say it so bluntly, but Frank sat up with a rather harsh look on his face. “What the fuck do you mean ‘so’?”  

“I just mean…that family…your family, has done nothing for you, why go back and put yourself into that situation?”  

Standing up and placing his hands on his hips, Frank looked down at Gerard with a clear look of disapproval. “For your information, my grandmother is the one that gave me the money to buy this fucking place. I went to her and told her what was going on, what had been going on for years, and when I was finally old enough to get away she supported me.” Frank HAD intended his words to be sharp and blunt. “So before you go being a fucking insensitive asshole, get your damn facts straight!”  

Before Gerard could being to reply, Frank had turned and marched off to his bedroom – closing the door with a loud bang. Gerard cursed himself for being so quick to such a harsh judgement, and for hurting Frank…”Fucking idiot…” he scolded himself, and laid back with a sigh. Every molecule in his body wanted to leap up and persuade Frank, plead his apology and make things right – however, if Gerard knew anything after being with Frank all this time it was that space was sometimes important to him. He would give him a little time to settle down before going in and making amends. Of course this wasn't their first fight, but they had them so rarely it was nothing to be concerned about, they had only managed to have two or three since being together and each time it had – eventually – been realised that to many hurtful words being used and suddenly the argument became unimportant. The fact that Gerard knew he was in the wrong made it that much more simpler, Frank deserved better from the person who he had placed his trust with, and he wasn't about to let him feel that such trust had been misplaced.  

The time passed quickly and the sun had almost disappeared behind the symphony of colourful hues and bursts of the last daylight, Frank rolled over onto his stomach and kicked the sheets out from under him, peering out into the harmony of the horizon. He didn't hear the door open, and didn't even see that he has been joined until he looked around. There, sitting beside him on the bed was Gerard, wearing a soft smile and a look of regret. “Gerard loo-…” Before he could finish his second word, Gerard interrupted him, raising a finger to Frank's lips. 

“I'm sorry.” Gerard breathes heavily as if some invisible weight has been taken form his shoulders, his nerves unraveling. “I shouldn't of spoken to you like that, Frankie. I'm sorry, of course we will go see your grandmother in hospital.” 

The sudden change of emotion in Gerard took Frank a little by surprise, he wasn't exactly known for admitting he was wrong…but then again, neither was Frank at times. “It's alright, I know why you were so sharp about it…I understand.” He sat up and kissed Gerard, feeling his troubles wash away as he did.  

Gerard cupped his cheek and smiled at him, “We will leave in the morning.”  


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoy, it's a bit longer this time so plenty of reading to do!  
> Let me know what you think, or what you would like to maybe see next :D

The car drive was long, a good two and a half hours at least. The weather had only gotten more violent overnight, fast winds and pelting rain hammered every side of the car and Frank sunk down into the front seat. He was very, very glad Gerard had agreed to come with him, for a time he thought he may actually refuse after seeing his initial reaction to the whole thing, but as usual Gerard came to save the day. The rain started to fall harder and the sound was deafening on the car exterior, Frank didn't have a problem with cold weather – but he was not a fan of small spaces, or anxiety high situations. Essentially why he lived in the city without a car and on his own, simple existence.

Gerard didn't need physic powers or weird vampire voodoo to pick up on the uncomfortable vibes Frank was giving off, his thoughts were so damn loud it was almost rivalling the rain. Reaching over, Gerard unbuckled Frank's belt silently – not acknowledging the protest from Frank – and put his arm around his waist, yanking him across the leather car seat so he was snuggled up under Gerard's warm arm, hands clasped around his chest and head buried in his shoulder. “If at any point you want to leave, Frankie, you have to tell me okay?” His words were gentle and soft, but determined and forceful.

Without saying anything, Frank just nodded from deep within Gerard's warm shoulder and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath and letting Gerard's unique musk come over him. There wasn't a single part of Gerard that Frank didn't adore. Be it his hair, his smell, his sense of humour or his strange thirst for the abnormal. It all accumulated to create the most perfect person; hardly something that could be ignored…even if he wanted to.

The next thirty or so minutes passed relatively quietly, Gerard keeping a protective arm wrapped firmly around Frank, and Frank wrapped around Gerard as if he was the very air he needed to breath – the pair were the definition of inseparable.

It was Gerard who finally broke the long, peaceful silence. Speaking softly, moving his lips down closer to where Frank had laid his head he asked, “I was wondering…” He took a moment to see if Frank was still awake, “I didn't think your family was particularly wealthy?”

Somewhat of an odd question, Frank thought for a moment and considered the short conversation the two of them had shared the previous day, regarding the contribution Frank's grandmother had made to help support Frank all those years ago. “Well…no, mum and…Anthony are pretty average level income. Especially since Anthony stopped working, now mum has to do her best to pay the bills and look after his drunk ass.”

There was silence for a few moments as Gerard allowed Frank to get out the anger he had contained within him. “So how is it your grandmother can pay your rent?”

“That's another matter, she's got plenty of money – owns an estate and everything. She's on my mother’s side and I'm very close with her, she…knew all about what went on and tried her best to help. Used to take trips to her estate and hide away for a few days, she was the only person in that damn family that I liked…” such memories were some of the only comforting ones Frank had of his childhood. His grandmother had been like a mother to him, she had taken him to doctor appointments and the movies and to school dances. And when he had finally told her about his plan to flee from home, she had not protested or tried to persuade him otherwise – but instead simply handed him the details of a bank account and told him to run his expenses through it for as long as he had needed. A selfless gesture by a truly wonderful woman.

Gerard smiled, it was the first time he has ever heard Frank speak of his family in any sort of positive light. “It is comforting to know there was some sort of silver lining to your childhood.”

“I think it's my turn to ask a question now…” Frank looked up, grinning.

“Damn, knew that was all a con, bastard.”

With a giggle, Frank kissed Gerard's cheek. “One-day babe you may understand the workings of manipulation!”

This in particular made Gerard laugh, “You know how daft you sound, a silly little mortal shit like you speaking to me – the bringer of darkness and prince of despair – as if he were some lowly house serf. Bah!” He gave an exaggerated scoff and turned his nose up.

“Well, Mr Prince of The Melodramatic, just remember one thing…”

“Oh? And what, pray tell, is that?”

“Who sucks you off at night.”

There was silence, for what seemed like a god-damn eternity. Gerard stared forward, trying to think of something to say, some witty way to eat himself out of such a flawless facet of logic, but alas…there was none. Conceding, he turned to Frank with a look of defeat and a smirk, “What's your question?”

Knowing very well this was Gerard's way of admiring he was beat, Frank took enjoyment of the rare occasion and didn't try to hide such emotion. “Well, if there are…vampires…does that mean there are actually werewolves and like...magic and stuff?”

A super evolved sense of self control was all that held Gerard back from laughing so hard, he couldn't believe such nonsense. “Good lord, Frankie. You have watched far too much Twilight and Blade, bloody hell.” He reached up and wiped a year from his eye. “Honestly, werewolves?”

Frank sunk into the seat again, his face red with embarrassment. “I mean…you are pretty fucking weird, Gerard. You DRINK people's blood. How are werewolves so hard to imagine?”

"My dearest Frank, vampires are grotesque perversions of Gods handy work – creatures of sin and dark intent cast out to walk the road of immortality alone and in pain. But there is sense behind it…a man that magically turns into a wolf with no self-control due to some…Aztec shaman’s ritual is just preposterous!”

It was hard to keep serious, maybe it was hard for Gerard to imagine that what he was…was in fact weird, but from Frank's point of view vampires were no more mystical than witches and voodoo. “Alright, alright. I fucking get it!” He laughed, leaning back into Gerard, “you're still a fucking weirdo…” And with that, Frank closed his eyes and listened to the rain hammer down on the car outside, falling asleep.

 

The clouds had been dark and heavy all day, allowing Gerard to drive despite the horrendous time, however as the day pushed on and the car trip grew longer the remaining twinkle of distant light had died completely behind the ominous black curtain that seemed to surround them on every angle.

Pulling up outside the 10 story hospital building, Gerard turned the car off and pulled the key out. He looked down at the sleeping Frank under his arm and smiled, “We're here Frankie, time to get off your ass.”

Yawning, Frank unburied his head from Gerard's deep shoulder and looked up, rubbing his eyes. “That took for fucking ever…you drive like an old woman.”

With a gentle, loving peck Gerard replied simply, “Fuck off.” He winked and opened the car door, climbing out into the drizzle and biting wind. It didn't take long for Frank to follow suit and the two of them huddled up and waltzed over to the after hours’ entrance. “I have always hated hospitals…” Gerard had stated bluntly as they traversed the winding corridors and sanitised rooms.  
  
"Wait...you hate hospitals?" Frank looked a bit surprised, surely Gerard enjoyed all the blood and gore and stuff.  
  
"Needles..." 

Frank continued to just look at him puzzled, "What about them?"  
  
Turning his lip up in disgust Gerard quivered, "They are gross and ew and...ugh, I hate them."  
  
The look of seriousness lasted only moments as Frank burst into laughter, "Are you telling me that...you...the immortal superhuman monster...is afraid of a fucking needle?!"  
  
"Sod off!" Gerard slapped him away, "The irony of not liking stuff poked into me is not lost on me, but all the same...fuck off."  
  
Frank just shook his head and grabbed Gerard's arm, never a dull moment and always something to surprise him.  
The two passed a nurse sorting medications on a metal stand and smiled, continuing around the corner and down the next hallway until they came upon the hospital room. Making sure he was wearing a gentle smile, Frank walked ahead of Gerard and entered, poking his head around the corner and waving.  
"It's just me!" He walked over the bed and sat down, leaning in and kissing the old women who was laying there.  
  
"My dear, I am glad you could find the time to visit, I know it is a long drive." Frank's grandmother sat up and hugged him, "How have you been?"  
  
"How have I been? Hardly a time to talk about me is it, what's going on, why are you in here?"  
  
She shook her head  with a smile, "Oh you know...I am getting old nowadays, can't live forever."  
  
Frank smiled at the common-place of immortality in his life, but shrugged it off. "Are you sure you are alright?"  
  
Waving his uncertainty away, she just laughed, "I am as well as can be expected, my dear. Now enough about me, I haven't seen you in some time – what's going on in your life?"  
  
Frank couldn't help but chuckle and run a hand through his hair at the question...what a question...how could he even begin to explain the details of his recent life to anyone else? He would sound mad for sure. "Well...I have been doing alright I guess, started working recently, selling my art and stuff." He cheeks went red, despite their familiarity he would never be comfortable discussing his work, he was just weird that way.  
  
"See! I told you, didn't I? I told you that your talent would make you famous."  
  
"I don't think we are quite there yet, but it's a start" he smiled back, "I will admit it is fun to sell some of my stuff, better than just sitting around gathering dust in my portfolios and on my wall."  
  
She nodded in agreement and sighed a breath of relief at such good news, "And who..." She leaned over the side of the bed, "if I may enquire, is lurking in the shadows of my doorway? A friend of yours perhaps?" A sly smirk came across her face as she made silent implications and jokes in Frank's direction.  
  
Gerard stepped forward, hands crossed with a shy smile across his face. "Sorry I didn't introduce myself, I just know how much Frank has been looking forward to this. I'm Gerard, nice to meet you, Frank has told me a lot about you."  
  
She looked back to Frank, "Good things I hope, hm?"  
  
He laughed, "Of course, nan, always good things."  Taking a few moments to compose himself, Frank stood up slowly and leaned back into Gerard, pulling his arms around him shyly. “And Gerard isn't just a friend…we are together, have been for some time now…”

There was a silence as the three of them exchanged looks, Gerard could feel his stomach knot at the tension, and Frank felt embarrassed though he wasn't sure why. Finally, Frank's grandmother broke the silence with a small laugh and a smile, “I'm old but I'm not blind, even when you two are standing apart you're stuck together like bloody glue. Doesn't take a genius to see love, Frankie.”

Breathing a sigh of relief and allowing the built up tension to leave his body, Frank have a meek nod of thanks, “I'm glad you approve…I don't know where I would…” He stuttered, thinking back to all that had happened whilst the two of them had been together and Frank swallowed hard, “I don't know where I would be without him.”

“Nor I, him” Gerard interjected softly.

Before another word could be spoken, there was a slight tap at the door and a short young nurse poked her head in with a smile. “Sorry to interrupt, but I just have to check a few things if that's alright?”

The group nodded their approval, Frank and Gerard sat down together on the couch and waited whilst the nurse went about her duties.

“So…” She picked up the chart hanging off the end of the bed and glanced over the notes that had been made by the doctor earlier that day, “How are we feeling Evelyn? The medications had some time to work and the doctor was confident it would make you comfortable.”

Looking up, Evelyn nodded weakly. “I'm doing alright, now that I have my grandson here.”

The young nurse changed her IV bag and made some foot notes on her chart before leaving with a wave.

Frank stood up slowly and walked over to the bedside, sitting down once more whilst Gerard stayed where he was. “What did she mean…’make you comfortable’, nan?” The grin had slowly left his face and had been replaced by worry.

Evelyn breathes deeply and took his hand, “That's all they can really do in afraid, Frank.” It was obvious she was hurting now, though she did her best to keep a strong face. “A year ago I was diagnosed with stage three lung cancer. It spread to the rest of my body and I didn't see much point in going through the whole radiation treatment when I could live a whole year relatively well. But my year is up, and so I came here to find a peaceful end.”

It was all a little too much for Frank to take in at once, and he simply stated at her for a few moments, sparing a quick glance towards Gerard. “Why…didn't you tell me sooner?”

“Because!” She forced a smile, “We have had plenty of time together you and I, and I know things have been hard enough for you as it is. You didn't need an extra thing to worry about. But I have now been able to see you once more and with that I can die happy. This isn't something to be upset about Frank, it's natural and I have had a long life.”

He understood what she was saying, and in his own private way perhaps even agreed with her on some things, but he was still sad. Frank gave up trying to put sentences together and simply embraced her with a hug, holding on tightly as tears dotted his cheek. “I love you…"

“And I you, you know that. And now you have someone else to love and be loved by, oh Frank you have no idea what a relief it is to see you looked after. I dreaded the thought of you spending your life alone once I was gone, it truly does bring me the most solace.”

Nodding with silent agreement, Frank sighed and let her lay back on the pillow. “Are you comfortable?”

“I am now, my dear, I am now.” She wiped a tear from his cheek and smiled at him, “Would you please go fetch the good doctor for me?”

Frank nodded and walked out of the room towards the receipt on area.

Evelyn turned to face Gerard, “You have a lot to carry with that boy, he needs looking after.” She spoke calmly but bluntly, making sure her words were understood. “He has gone to hell and back and needs someone to love him, so I expect you to take up the task.”

Gerard leaned forward with a small grin as he thought of how much HE, in fact, needed Frank. “I am, though I think I may require Frank just as much as he require me. He has a good heart, something I'm thankful for each day.”

Frank reappeared in the doorway with an older gentleman who was wearing a white coat and a small pair of glasses. “Is it time?” He asked.

Frank's grandmother nodded, almost relieved to finally have it over with, and she beckoned Frank over once more. “You're going to be just fine, you hear me?”

With a teary eyed nod, he understood and after one last hug he stepped back so the doctor could reach the IV. He inserted a small needle into the tube and emptied the contents, allowing it to flow into Evelyn's system. Her hair fell back and she drifted off into a peaceful sleep. After a few moments, the old man placed a hand on Frank's shoulder and have it a squeeze before walking out. Gerard stood up and with lightning speed he appeared next to Frank, wrapping his arms around him. Frank fell into Gerard's warm grip and allowed himself to float off in his misery, ignoring the normal passage of time.

The two stayed around the hospital for another forty or so minutes while Frank filled out some paperwork, he had pulled himself together and with Gerard’s help gotten through the tidal wave of emotion that had hit him. Of course he was hurt and sad, but it would pass and he had his memories to look back on.  
  
Gerard walked up behind Frank as he put the pen down on the counter and nodded his thanks to the nurse who took his forms. He wrapped his arms around Frank’s waist and kissed his cheek, “You ready to go babe?”

With a nod, Frank took his hand and pulled him towards the elevator – he was without a doubt ready to go home, and get into bed…even more so if it was beside a cute vampire. They got out of the elevator and headed outside, the weather had only marginally improved and it was still drizzling with rain, but the warmth from Gerard’s hand groping his butt was comfort enough. “You got a tight enough grip back there? Jesus.” He giggled, looking up at Gerard’s sly smile. 

“Pfft, I can do whatever I want…I own it.”  
  
“HA!” Frank retorted, poking his tongue out and squinting his face at Gerard, “Only if I own this…” Mimicking Gerard’s action, Frank took a hold of his crotch and squeezed with a wink. “Mine.”  
  
They both giggled and walked up to the car as Gerard hit the button on his key chain and unlocked the door, but before he could open it he stopped and looked back. “Crap…”  
  
“What is it?”  
  
“I left my jacket in the hospital room.”  
  
“All good, run up and get it – I’ll wait here and let my butt get cold!” Watching the cute butt before him dash off into the hospital again, he leaned back against the car – feeling the cold water wet the back of his shirt – a shiver ran down his spine and he crossed his arms, closing his eyes to drift off for a few moments and pretend he was in his own perfect world. It was then out of nowhere that he was yanked forward by the collar of his shirt and he opened his eyes with a yelp as his face impacted with the ground – all he saw was cement and puddles of water.  
The horrible taste of dirt and muck filled his senses and he groaned loudly, rolling over in a heap. He looked up and opened his eyes slowly, it was hardly the thing he expected to see.  
  
“So, it looks like you’re a faggot as well.” Said a gruff, angered voice. “Just had to come back, didn't you?”

  
It was hardly the person he had expected to see, let alone at this time of night. “Hello…father…” Frank rubbed the back of his head and felt the damp residue of blood, and the nasty edges of the shallow tear in the skin. “It’s…so wonderful to see you again.”  
  
The only response he received was a foot to the gut, sharp pain overcame his body and he curled up with a cry, clenching the already bruising muscle. “I would recognise that wonderful greeting anywhere…” He spat a mouthful of blood out onto the pavement and did his best to push himself up, wobbling a little as he caught his bearings. It took a moment but he found his foot and stood up properly to face his father. It was then he was hit with the hefty smell of bourbon hit him like a tonne of bricks, and it was foul. But then Frank realised that…when had his father ever done anything sober? Why would this be any different.  
  
“You can’t say I didn't warn you, Frank…but you still came back.” He laughed, pulling a flask from his hip and taking a swig. “And you didn't come alone I see! Brought along a fag with you just to rub the fact that you’re a disappointment in even more.”  
  
Frank didn’t care about his father talking shit about him, he had spent his entire life dealing with it…but insulting Gerard? No. Only Frank got to give Gerard shit. He went to say something, but before he could get the first word out, his father spat on him. He stood silent for a moment, and wiped his eyes with his wrist.  
  
“Don’t talk to me, I don’t want to hear your bullshit!”

That was Frank’s que – he didn't want to talk, and that was just fine by him, he didn't really want to talk to his selfish bastard of a farther anyway. With that Frank lunged forward out of nowhere and swung his fist around, hearing the horrible crack of bone meeting bone as his knuckles connected with the face in front of him. Anthony went down and landed on his elbow with an angry moan, the skin graving against the hard cold rock beneath him. “The fuck do yo-…” but he didn’t get a chance to finish as the front of Frank’s shoe impacted his stomach, and then once more. Anthony coughed up his own mouthful of blood and this time didn't try to get up so quickly. Frank went in for a third kick, and this time he was ready to put some real anger behind it when he felt a hand on his shoulder pulling him back.  
It was the steady hand of Gerard, equipped with a stern expression and calm demeanour.  
  
“What the shit is going on Frank?”  
  
Anthony glanced up from his hazy, blood smeared expression with a small smile. “And the lover finally shows himself…”  
  
“Shut it.” Frank inserted his foot back into his father’s abdomen with a small sigh of satisfaction, but it didn't last long as Gerard put more distance between them.  
  
“Frank who the hell is this, and why are you kicking the shit out of them?”  
  
Frank calmed down a little and looked up at Gerard’s confused expression. “Gerard, my father, father…this is Gerard.”  
  
“I'm…sorry. As in, your asshole of a father who spent most of your childhood abusing you?” Gerard moved in front of Frank and took his hand, suddenly losing the confusion and taking up the protective instinct that came so naturally to their strange, otherworldly relationship.

“Did you get a body guard as well as a lover, Frank? Can’t even fight your own battles…as usual!” He went to stand, but once again he was knocked back on his ass – this time, however, it was due to Gerard’s knee to the face.  
  
“So a quick thing to note; every time you disrespect Frank, _try_ to hurt him, or come within ten kilometres with him…I am going to knee you in the face, or break a bone are random.” He crouched down so he was face to face with Anthony, “Or…I could just kill you here and now and we could all go home with a lot less to worry about…” Gerard put a tight grip around Anthony’s neck and slowly lifted him up until he was hanging down by the bruised and raw muscle of his neck.  
  
“You wouldn't ki-…” He began, but Frank cut him off.  
  
“He would.” Blunt, uncaring.  
  
Anthony looked over to him with a grunt, “Oh really?”  
  
“He would.”  
  
The unwavering, all serious tone seemed to ring a note inside Anthony and he swallowed hard, his expression changing from the confident asshole to the slightly more worried asshole.

“Gerard…” Frank turned to him and looked down, “Don’t.”  
  
“Don’t want?”  
  
“Don’t kill him…please.”  
  
“You want this piece of shit to…what, continue making everyone miserable?”  
  
“No, I don’t want him to live…but if we kill him…we would be no better than him.”  
  
Gerard sighed and nodded, letting go Anthony fell to the floor in a heap – adding more cuts and scrapes to his already beaten body. “Fine.”  
  
Anthony stumbled to his knees, bleeding and coughing with another cocky grin. “Can’t even fucking man up, hey? Always were weak, Frank.”  
  
With a high energy turn and a powerful-as-fuck right hook, Frank spun on the spot and hit his father square in the jaw. This time, the crack wasn't just the kissing of bone and flesh but his jaw becoming detached from the face. However, there was no quick remark or recovery, there was nothing.  
He fell face down in the muck, lights out.  
“I said he wouldn't kill you, not that I wouldn't knock you on your drunk fucking ass, dick-head.”  
Without another word, Frank got into the car and crossed his arms.  
  
Gerard had read the ‘How-To-Interpret-Frank’s-Ever-Changing-Moods’ volume three, and knew this was a ‘get into the car and drive and don’t talk to me’ mood. He did exactly that, he started the car and drove, silently.  
He was kinda proud of his Frank, though, for standing up to his father the way he did. It was good to see he could take care of himself – Gerard smirked under his breath and continued up the long highway.  


	16. Chapter 16

Pulling up outside Frank's apartment, Gerard looked down at his watch. It was almost 2:00 AM, the clouds had grown dark and heavy but the rain had died down a bit. Glancing over to where Frank lay in a ball against the car door, he smiled as he watched him sleep without a single sound. He went to wake him, but pulled back after considering what a tremendously overwhelming day he had gone through. With a sigh of exhaustion, Gerard slipped out his side of the car and walked around to Frank's, carefully opening the door as to not disturb him - or God forbid fall out - so he could scoop him up and carry him to the only place he needed to be right now; his bed.

Groaning slightly at the subtle movements, Frank turned his head instinctively into Gerard's chest and wrapped his arms around him, allowing himself to be picked up under the legs and carried. He was far to lost in dreams of his childhood - perhaps nightmares was a more appropriate word - to notice the small bumps and rustles of climbing stairs and opening doors. Before long his subconscious mind registered that he was laying between the two comfortable sheets of his bed and he moaned with pleasure at finally being able to properly rest.

Looking at his sleeping love, Gerard gave a worried smile and turned to head out, but before he had made it past the end of the bed he turned as a quiet voice followed him.

"If you think you're leaving you are mental." Frank was still curled up in bed, but laid with one outstretched hand pointing towards Gerard. "Get rid of all those clothes and come be my...cold ass boyfriend."

Smirking, Gerard silently did what he was told s d slipped in beside Frank, wrapping his arms around him. "I love you, Frankie."

"I love me to Gerard, I love me to."

"Smug little shit..." Gerard mumbled, closing his eyes and quietly falling into a slumber to rest.

  
The next few days were somewhat quiet as mellow, Gerard has agreed - on Franks request - to stay with him and just hang about. Frank really hadn't said...anything...apart from the usual good morning and good night, I love you etc. at first the whole thing made Gerard worry that perhaps things were not so fine for Frank, maybe he wasn't handling the situation so well but...a part of him was confident he just needed to process it and what he needed was Gerard to just be there for him. So that's what he would do.   
That afternoon they had settled in to watch a movie, without a word Frank had scaled up Gerard and planted himself squarely on top of him, wrapping his arms tightly around his cute vampire and placing his head on his shoulder.   
"Comfortable?"

"Very." Frank replied, eyes fixed on the screen.

It appeared that was about as much as he would get out of Frank for now, so he kissed his forehead and tightened the grip he had around him, settling in to watch the movie.

Franks head was filled with questions, it was noisy and messy in his mind but all he could do was work through one feeling, one problem or one idea at a time and be patient. Something that wasn't lost on him, however, was the space Gerard had given him, while still being right next to him. It was times like this that he saw there really was no one else he could be with, this was the only thing that always made complete sense to him - and Frank found solace in that. Not realising he had been trapped in his own thoughts for almost an hour into the movie, he lifted his head up and turned to Gerard, wordless.   
Placing his lips against Gerard's, he breathes out gently and enjoyed the sensation of being close to the one he loved.

Not arguing with it, Gerard happily sat there and encouraged the kiss. He placed a hand on the back of Frank's neck and stroked his hair, until finally their lips parted. "What did I do to deserve that?" he smiled with a jest.

"You are mine, I don't need a reason." This was the first time Frank had smiled in days, and it felt good. He knew Gerard would sit quietly and give him all the time in the world, but he was ready to go back to what he considered 'normal'...or whatever weird, fucked up variation of normal he had going. Showing off his smile and change of mood, he leaned forward and pecked Gerard's lips with another kiss, gently thrusting into his lap as he brought his hands up around Gerard's neck.   
He was, of course, met with passion and excitement, for Gerard was craving the pleasure he found whenever he touched Frank.   
Pulling him in closer, Gerard slipped a hand down the back of Frank's track pants, squeezing his ass with a sly grin.  
"I don't think I have ever been in love with an ass so much."

Responding with a giggle between kisses, Frank let a hand drop into Gerard's lap, slowly massaging the bulge that was growing. "Someone's happy to see me?"

"Actually the lead actor in this films pretty hot..."

Frank quickly gripped Gerard's cock in one hand and squeezed a bit harder, a sinister grin on the corner of his lips. "What was that?"

Fidgeting and laughing, Gerard quickly corrected his mistake. "I am very happy to see you, and only you my most perfect and wonderful Frankie...please find the mercy to not crush my cock."

"I thought so." He released his tight grip and continued to massage, listening to the slight groans of approval Gerard couldn't help but let out.

After several more minutes Gerard found himself longing to touch Frank's bare skin. He pushed Frank down onto the couch and climbed up onto him, forcing his shirt off with a tug. Pinning him down, Gerard made his way up - starting above his belly button - and stopping occasionally to lick and bite.   
As usual, every centimetre of Frank tasted sweet and wonderful, a delicacy as far as Gerard was concerned. He could hear the gentle thumping of Frank's heart just bellow the skin, feel the warm hot flesh, the smell of youth and life.   
"I could do this all night..." He mumbled, a hand grasping Franks ass tightly.

"I'm sure you could, but I will have to sleep at some point you know." With a giggle, he grabbed the back of Gerard's head and pulled it up for a kiss, taking a small nip at this bottom lip before pushing him down into his crotch with a large grin.

"You're unusually dominant tonight!" Gerard teased and tickled, making Frank slap his hands away. But amid the laughter Gerard had undo Frank's pants and placed his lips over the head of his cock, sucking hard.

"Fuck!" The laughter stopped and Frank fell back, muscles relaxing and giving way to the extraordinary thing that was a Gerard Way blow job.

Moving down, Gerard looked up to see the melting Frank and continued his pursuit. Frank had become even harder since his tongue had found its way to his shaft, and Gerard moaned as he felt Frank tense up and push his cock deeper down Gerard's throat. It wasn't easy to be forceful and dominant when you were with someone who's a vampire, Gerard imagined. He supposed it was just natural for people to fall under and feel the authority that came with such a thing - but not Frank. It had interested him, but Frank had never let himself be pushed out of the picture with Gerard. He made assertive choices, despite Gerard's protest, he wasn't afraid to stand up to him when he overstepped or just pissed him off. It was, in fact, quite brilliant!   
Gerard snapped back into the moment, and moved a hand down his young counterparts thigh, down again to his ass. Pulling the pants he was wearing clean off, Gerard spread Frank's ass - licking his finger. With a smirk, he pushed it inside of Frank and listened for the puppy dog moans he so often made (Gerard loved puppy's).

"Fuck Gerard. FUCK!" Frank flung his head back and died a little inside as his body gave in to the myriad of sinful sensations. "If you keep going I'm going to..."  
Before he could finish the sentence he cried out, thrusting his cock into Gerard's mouth and falling down further on his finger - a blissful orgasm overtaking him as Gerard swallowed him.

A few moment passed as the experience faded and reality returned for the both of them. There were few words that needed day...telling one another seemed redundant right now, if they had to say it then it wasn't real - they were always in love, it was fact rather than something uncertain. Falling into bed together, the pair kissed and Frank wrapped his arms around Gerard, falling to sleep.


	17. Chapter 17

"Where DO you get the ideas for this, Frank?" The dark haired and well dressed man sat across from him, holding a portfolio of comic book drawings and a storyboard. "This is actually brilliant, I mean...we have done some fantasy stuff, but never have we done a modern day vampire romance."

Frank sat quietly at the glass desk as his publisher - the one he usually just did requested artwork for, often superheroes - sat pouring over something Frank had brought to him. The last few weeks had been quiet and Frank had stayed at home while Gerard was busy with something (slaying a witch or goblin no doubt, something cool he was sure) and one evening, after a glass of wine had been consumed, he sparked an idea. That was all he needed, three days later he had a plot and working storyboard.

"Tell me, Frank..." The man stood up and walked around the desk, sitting down with his arms crossed on the glass top. "How would you like to work for us?"

This was a bit confusing, "I already do work for you..." He said, cocking his head to the side.

"Well yes, but it's inconsistent pay and random work loads. It's very casual. What I am talking about is, would you like to go on our payroll and be given what you need to turn this," he reached down, picking up the portfolio of storyboards and ideas, "into proper literature?"  
"So you want me to be a...."

"A writer."

There were few words Frank could find, unexpected was close enough. He hasn't really thought much would come from his drawings and writings now sitting on his publishers desk, a few extra hours maybe but not a job.

"So what do you say, ready to join the team?"

What else could he say, this was amazing. "Yes...god, yes!"  
Chuckling, his publisher smiled and extended his hand, "I look forward to seeing what you make of this opportunity, Frank. I know you will do great things with it!"

  
Frank could hear the excitement in Gerard's voice over the phone call as he told him the good news. "That is amazing Frank, oh my god! So will you be works there or?"

"Well I have a desk there, but he said I could work wherever I wanted and just had to send him drafts when they were ready." Frank glanced over at the clock, it was almost six and he was getting hungry. "I will probably write most of it here."

"I'm so proud of you, did I not tell you all those months ago that I saw great things in your artwork?" Gerard was, to put it lightly, like a small child being taken to the zoo.

"I'll be back in a day or two, so you can show me your work then, okay?"

"Miss you..." Frank muttered, in actual fact it was way more than simply missing him. It hurt, like a dagger in his gut, bleeding slowly to death. Several seconds passed, and Frank could hear Gerard smiling on the other end.

"I miss you to Frankie, I miss you to." With that the two exchanged their love before hanging up. Gerard sighed, being so far from Frank was like life turning a bleak shade of grey. There was no excitement and nothing (or anyone for that matter) to do. Focusing back on the road, he continued on as the sun fell down behind the cloudy sky.

  
The night was simple for Frank, at least compared to the usual vampire sex and running about being enslaved by psychopaths, something he didn't exactly miss. An easy dinner consisting of chicken, vegetables and a bottle of wine. After that, it was down at his desk with pen in hand to put his writing down into coherent narrative form. This story was not the fantasy that his publisher believed it to be, however. It was his story, the meeting of a very bland boy and an overly early complex vampire. Of course, he had changed the main character that represented himself to that of a female, readers preferred traditional relationships, but it was enough that he knew the truth. Writing an account of ones days and feelings was in a sense simpler than creating the details from scratch. With another page down, he leaned back and looked over his work, happy with the way his characters were shaping up. It was a little strange to write about yourself, while also not writing about yourself, but also interesting. Gerard, of course, was identical to his real world counterpart. Dashing, handsome, kind and all sorts of sexy. Frank smirked at the image of his lover that flashed before him, hardly believing it had been almost a year since they had first met...

"Whatcha doing?"

Spinning around, Frank saw nothing. Perhaps the wine had gotten to him, or maybe he was just getting a little too into his fantasy.

"I see why he keeps you around, you're so very cute." The voice was like that if a little girl, a brat to be precise.

This time when Frank turned, he saw clearly the young women sitting on his sofa, head in hands watching him. "Who...are you?" Still unsure if he was just drunk and dreaming, Frank placed the pen down and swivelled in the chair.

"Emilia." The girl jumped up, curtseying towards him. "And I, my mortal friend, am-..."

"A vampire." Frank stated bluntly, looking at her unimpressed. "It's obvious, only vampires are that unbelievably full of themselves and dress so..." He couldn't quite find the adjective, and just motioned at the women's choice of wardrobe. 

Giving him a cross look and crossing her arms, Emilia poked her tongue at him. "Know it all."

"Look you're not here to kill me, or you would of done it already, and you are not here because you're bored, because you would of smelt Gerard's scent and realised his claim - meaning your either on a mission or as blonde as your attitude makes you out to be." Phew, Frank had balls. A barrage of insults at a vampire who could kill him in a single look, one who had just broken into his home despite almost certainly knowing Gerard lived here. Frank had balls.

"Are you always this annoying?"

"I try to be."

"Fine!" Emilia huffed and fell backwards onto the couch. "I'm here to tell you that your vampire fuck toy is in trouble."

Frank raised an eyebrow at her, "In trouble?"

"Yes, he has revealed what he is to a human and then let them live. A big no no in the 'how to be a creature of hell' handbook. Because of it, the council of elders has ordered his execution."

Frank jumped up suddenly, reaching for his phone to call Gerard. But before it reached his ear Emilia's hand was there, yanking it away and tossing it somewhere behind the couch. "What the fuck, he has to be told!"

"Sorry, hun. I'm breaking a rule by telling you this stuff, and if he were to find out now I would be in trouble, ya see?" She smiled at him, as if enjoying this game.

"What do you expect of me then, why even tell me!"

"Because you can save him, Frank." Suddenly she was up close, standing inches from his face, eyes glowing red and a smirk forming. "You can be the hero to save him, instead of always being the damsel."

The fear and anxiety dropped away, save him...Frank could save Gerard? How could he refuse it, there was nothing more important than Gerard. He narrowed his eyes at her, looking ashamed that he would blindly fall into what was most likely a chaotic trap.

"How?"

"It's simple, Gerard is a noble of the vampire clan, though he does not know it yet, and that grants him rights. Anyone claimed for partnership by a noble is safe from all other vampires, they are respected and treated with honour..."

"But..." Frank edged forward, waiting to be told where to sign away his soul for this deal.

Emilia smiled, at least he as clever. "But that partnership only applies to a vampire."

Falling back some, Frank looked dazed and confused at the unexpected condition. He had assumed he would have to give up something, or perhaps take some sort of ritual oath, but to give up his...his life, that was not the average request. "It isn't possible, Gerard told me people can't be turned anymore, I'm walking proof - he has bitten me plenty of times!" As much as Frank loved Gerard, the idea of being a...well, a monster scared him. He has seen what Gerard as like when hungry and heard about the lines he had stepped over.

"Come now, Frank. Gerard doesn't know the half of being a vampire, he's got no knowledge of our world. Mortals can be turned, but not without the blood of an elder in their system. She reached down and pulled a vile of red, murky liquid from her back pocket - waving it slowly in front of Frank. "Here it is, the key to Gerard's survival. All you have to do is drink and he gets to live..."

What was even happening, Frank wanted to scream. One moment he had been writing and the next e was choosing if he would wake up living or dead tomorrow. But if he didn't, Gerard would die...it was to much to think about. Grabbing his head Frank fell to the floor and leant against the desk leg, a defeated look on his face. "You're asking me to become a devil, a monster, something people have nightmares about...."

Kneeling in front of him, Emilia cupped his face. "My dear Frank, I'm asking you to save Gerard's life."

"Why do I have to decide now?!"

"Because..." She looked down at her watch, noting the time. "Gerard has exactly forty three minutes to live."

"How...could you know that?"

"Because that's when the hunter sent by the elders will arrive and drive a wooden stake through his chest." She seemed so passive about it, saying such a horrible thing. "I can call it off, but only if the law protects his actions, and it won't...until you are one of us." She twirled the vial in front of him. "If you're a vampire, he has done nothing wrong." She could see the reluctance in his face, the fear and doubt. “I wonder, if you and Gerard are as close as it seems, will you feel something when he is killed? Will it hurt you as much as the stake through his fragile chest? I guess he is lucky, it's quick and rather painless to die like that, but you..you will have to live a whole life knowing you let him die."

There was no choice, he couldn't leave it up to chance - Gerard had to live. "F-...fine."

Reaching up, he took the small glass vial and pulled the cap off, smelling the foul liquid. "So I just drink it?"

"Basically."

He took a deep breath, unsure what was about to happen or how so much had happened in so little time, and downed - reluctantly - the gross concoction. It tasted like piss and blood and copper, and Frank almost threw it back up.

A few moments passed, and nothing happened.

"Well...now what?"

Emilia cocked her head to the side, smiling at him. "Now you die.” Without a moments warning, she brought her fist forward and punched Frank directly in the chest, just above the heart. As the fist impacted, the sheer force of the violent assault sent a wave of jerks and shudders down his body, and the sound of his ribs and other assorted bones shattering and breaking echoed throughout the room like a terrible melody. Finally, his heart stopped.  
It stopped as he lay there, broken bones and bleeding organs.  
He died, his body gave up and blood spilt from his limp mouth. Where Emilia had punched him, the cracked ribs had launched themselves outwards and penetrated the skin, sticking out in a truly gastly fashion. He sat in a pool of sweat and blood and tears, peaceful and quiet, not breathing or moving or existing.

Emilia got up, licking her fingers and moving back towards the window. She stopped by the door, flipping the metal switch so it was unlocked - wouldn't want Gerard to have to ruin a perfectly good door to get in. She climbed out into the night and was gone as quickly as she had arrived only half an hour ago, her mission completed and plans set in place, it was time to feed.


End file.
